What If

Thursday July 23rd to Monday July 27th, 2026 in Merritt, BC

What a fabulous What If 2026! Thanks to everyone for their magnificent PARTICIPATION!

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We'll keep the 2026 website content live for reference until new content for 2027 is available.

What If News

September 17, 2026

What If 2027 theme call-out

It’s time to submit your best theme ideas! Every year the production leadership team has a blast reading your theme suggestions and picking the best…

September 17, 2026

What If 2027 Production team call out

Did you have SUCH a great time at What If this year that you’d like to help make the magic happen NEXT year?! Come join…

September 17, 2026

What If 2027 date announcement

What If 2027 Burning Man Official Regional Event – Vancouver Region We look forward to joining us from Thursday, July 22 to Monday, July 26,…

August 18, 2026

What If 2026 feedback survey is live!

Thank you so much for joining us in Merritt at What If: Cat If‽ The Feline Dream Machine! We’ve heard the purrs and hisses from…

July 20, 2026

General ticket sales will close TONIGHT, JULY 20 at 11:59PM!

All aboard the Feline Dream Machine! We have a huge increase in theme camps this year with 57 placed camps and 71 pieces of art.…

July 16, 2026

What Where When Guide/Dust app & Print-at-Home are READY!

What When Where guide goes virtual! We’re excited to once again be going digital with the Dust app! Dust is an unofficial app for Black Rock…

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Effigy and Orcas Burn in the Forest 2016 Cheam Fishing Village

What is What If?

What If, the event formerly known as Burn in the Forest (BitF) is the Greater Vancouver Interactive Arts Society’s (GVIAS) Official Burning Man Regional annual summer event.

We support the diversity and experimentation of experience and ideas.
We will create a Temporary Autonomous Zone where people may safely engage in new experiences without judgement.
We will strengthen existing friendships and build new ones, rewarding each other in special ways.
We are self-sufficient and leave no trace except in our memories.

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Event Info

Each summer we build a temporary community over an extended weekend. Together we create a village and gift each other in many ways that express our creativity and play.

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Participate

Our community is built on the participation of its members – from the simple exchange of food, stories, or a lending hand, to the elaborate construction of an interactive art project.

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