Children at the Mountain: A Deeper Reflection on Freedom, Family, and Awareness

When we opened the conversation about “Children at the Mountain”, we knew it would touch something deep within our community. And it did.

Over one hundred comments came in — heartfelt, reflective, and passionate. Some said festivals are no place for children. Others said it depends on awareness, structure, and care. And while opinions were divided, almost everyone agreed on one thing: we want to protect our children. That alone shows the heart of this community.

What We Learned

Most who spoke against children weren’t against them at all — they were concerned about the adults. About the lack of control, about intoxication, about what happens when freedom loses its balance.

That made us pause.

Because if the energy we create feels unsafe for children, perhaps it isn’t fully safe or conscious for us either.

An Honest Look at Ourselves

As organizers, we see everything — the beauty, the love, the colors, the art.

But we also see the other side: people so far from themselves that they no longer know their own boundaries. People who talk to us, unable to connect, eyes lost in the noise.

We want to say it clearly: this is not what Burning Mountain stands for.

This festival is not a playground for escape. It is a space for remembrance, a place to return to presence, to community, to heart.

Goa and Psytrance were never about losing ourselves, but about finding what’s real beneath the noise. They were born from a longing to reconnect with something ancient and sacred: rhythm, dance, nature, and consciousness itself. The early gatherings were not about forgetting life, but about remembering it — remembering that behind all our differences, we move to the same pulse.

The dancefloor was never meant to be an escape from reality, but a celebration of it. A reminder that freedom is not chaos, but harmony; that awareness is not limitation, but expansion; that the dance itself can be a form of prayer.

Psytrance was never meant to divide or isolate. It was created to dissolve the illusion of separation, to remind us that beneath every beat, every breath, every heartbeat, we are one.

When we forget this, the music becomes just sound.

When we remember it, the music becomes medicine.

A Story from the Mountain

Let us tell you about Lisa (name changed for privacy).

She was seven when she came to Burning Mountain with her parents last summer.

Lisa laughed and danced in the sunshine. She spent hours in the Art Gallery, painting with the artists, lost in color and imagination. In the Kids Area, she made dreamcatchers and paper lanterns, her little hands full of glitter and joy.

Her parents were always there. Grounded, loving, attentive. They had a beer together once in a while and that was it. They were present.

Yes, Lisa went to bed later than usual but never after midnight. But she still talks about that weekend as one of the happiest moments of her young life.

She remembers the music, the colors, the kindness of strangers. She felt safe, inspired, and completely free. Not because the world around her was perfect, but because her parents and the community gave her a feeling of safety and belonging.

Lisa can’t wait to come back. And that, for us, says everything.

Children as Mirrors of Who We Are

Children are not outsiders to our culture — they are the reflection of it. They show us what is pure, what is honest, what still needs care. If something feels too much for them, maybe it’s something we all need to look at more closely.

At weddings, family gatherings, and even on the streets, children see adults drink, smoke, or consume. We cannot raise them in isolation, pretending that the world is clean when it is not. But we can show them how to navigate it consciously — how to find safety, self-trust, and joy within life’s complexity.

Children need safety, not silence. Boundaries, not fear. Guidance, not perfection.

They are our future and also our teachers.

Our Commitment

We will continue to welcome conscious families, at least for Burning Mountain Festival 2026, while setting clear boundaries to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone.

These are the core ideas we want to build on — the first roots of a process that has only just begun. We know there will be more to learn, more to improve, and more ways to care for each other along the way, and we will reevaluate every year.

• 🏕️ Family Zone:

  Families will stay in a dedicated, calm, and caring camping area — a space designed for rest, connection, and safety.

• 🎨 Kids Village:

  The Kids Area will grow into a creative, playful village near the Family Zone, where curiosity, imagination, and expression can flourish safely.

• 🌙 Respectful Nights:

  After 10 p.m., children will not be allowed on the Main or Second Floor, ensuring these areas remain adult-only spaces during night hours.

• 🎧 Ear Protection:

  Mandatory ear protection at the Dancefloors for all children under 16 — because their hearing and sensitivity come first (and to be honest, every adult should probably wear earplugs too — it’s loud out there, and we all want to keep enjoying music for many years to come).

  
  

• 💬 Shared Responsibility:

  If parents or any adult act irresponsibly or endanger others, we will intervene. Once sober, they will be asked to leave the festival grounds. This is not punishment — it’s care. Because awareness means courage, and responsibility is an act of love.

• 🎟️ Entry for Kids:

  Children up to 11 years old enter for free.

  Kids aged 12–15 years pay CHF 109.– (payable at the entrance).

  Teenagers aged 16 and above must purchase a regular pre-sale ticket through their parents.

Together, as One Tribe

We want to appeal to everyone — if you see something that doesn’t feel right, speak up. Approach the parents with kindness and honesty. Offer help if needed. And if a situation feels unsafe, please reach out to the entrance team, bar team or our security crew.

This is how we grow together. By taking responsibility for one another, we build bridges and not walls. That is what unity truly means.

Unity, Not Escape

Burning Mountain stands for unity, not chaos. For awareness, not excess. For freedom that holds space for everyone — including our youngest ones.

Children are not a disruption to freedom. They are the reminder of what freedom truly means: to feel safe, connected, and seen.

If we can build a space where a child feels safe to laugh and dance, then we are on the right path — not just as organizers, but as a culture.

Let’s Grow Together

To everyone who spoke up — thank you from the bottom of our heart.

You reminded us that we are not just building a festival. We are shaping a reflection of the world we wish to see.

We will continue listening, learning, and creating a Burning Mountain that celebrates both responsibility and joy, both freedom and care.

Because when we protect our children, we protect the very essence of our humanity.

With love, awareness, and gratitude,

The Burning Mountain Team