Burning Man as you know it won't happen this year, due to the pandemic, but there will still be a festival -- just with way less dust and fun ... probably.

Organizers of the annual art phenomenon held in the Nevada desert announced Friday they were pulling the plug to avoid a possible COVID-19 outbreak. The event, scheduled for Aug. 30 to Sept. 7, isn't being postponed -- a la Coachella -- but instead will move online.

The Burning Man camp -- built and torn down each year in the middle of nowhere -- is known as Black Rock City, and the organizers say they're gonna try to create a Virtual BRC, but they admit ... "We’re not sure how it’s going to come out; it will likely be messy and awkward with mistakes. It will also likely be engaging, connective, and fun."

So, the good news is you won't leave the event covered in 2 inches of dirt. The bad news is you won't leave covered 2 inches of dirt. BTW, last year they had 70,000 attendees.

The organizers say they will offer full refunds to anyone who's already purchased tickets, which cost $475 to $1400. However, they're asking anyone who can afford it to donate their ticket price to The Burning Man Project ... in order to keep the festival alive for the next year.