The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or ho ...

developed and founded by Superfly Presents and

AC Entertainment AC Entertainment is a music promotion company based in Knoxville, Tennessee. They are the co-producers of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival with Superfly Productions and the producers of the WayHome Music & Arts in Barrie, ON,Waddell, Ray"Excl ...

. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in Manchester, Tennessee. The festival typically starts on the second Thursday in June and lasts four days. It has been held every year except 2020 when it was canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

and 2021 when it was canceled due to excessive rain from Hurricane Ida flooding the campground. Main attractions of this festival are the multiple stages featuring live music with a diverse array of musical styles including

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

, world music, hip hop,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, Americana, bluegrass,

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, folk,

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

, electronic, and other

alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music: *Alternative rock *Alternative pop *Alternative R&B *Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul *Alternative reggaeton *Alternative hip hop *Alternative dance *Alternative metal *Chris ...

. Musical acts begin Wednesday evening for early arrivers, continued throughout the festival with performances starting each day around noon, and some stages entertaining festival goers until sunrise. The festival was ranked in 2003 by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as one of the "50 Moments That Changed Rock & Roll", "Festival of the Decade" by '' Consequence of Sound,'' and among the 10 Best Festivals by '' GQ Magazine''.

History

Ashley Capps, co-founder of

, developed Bonnaroo following the cancellation of the Hot Summer Nights rock music festival in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the stat ...

in 1999. Hot Summer Nights, which was a mainstay in Knoxville's World's Fair Park would suspend operations permanently following construction by city officials. Capps would state that the cancellation would be the main drive behind the origin of Bonnaroo, "The closing of the World’s Fair Park for concerts precipitated getting creative and trying to find, ‘OK, if we can’t do this anymore, how can we still participate in the summer outdoor concert business,' and it was from that that Bonnaroo was ultimately launched." In 1999, the future site of Bonnaroo hosted the Itchycoo Park Festival (named after the song Itchycoo Park by Small Faces), which is considered the spiritual predecessor to the original Bonaroo music festival. Unlike Bonaroo, the Itchycoo Park Festival was considered an overall failure .The first Bonnaroo Music Festival took place in 2002. The founders chose "bonnaroo" (Creole slang meaning a really good time) for its literal meaning and to honor the rich New Orleans music tradition that they had enjoyed in college. Bonnaroo was popularized by New Orleans R&B singer

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

with his 1974 album '' Desitively Bonnaroo.'' Bonnaroo is derived from the French ''"bonne"'' the feminine agreement of ''"bon"'' meaning "good," and the French ''"rue"'' meaning "street," translating roughly to ''"the best on the streets"''. The festival site is known as "the farm" by festival goers and locals, due to its location on what used to be 700 acres of farm land. In 2019, after a record breaking festival sell out, it was announced that Live Nation was buying out Superfly's share of Bonnaroo. The 2020 event was initially pushed back three months until September 2020, and then ultimately cancelled because of health concerns surrounding the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United States, it has resulted in confir ...

. The 2021 event was canceled due to torrential rainfall from Hurricane Ida saturating the stage area, campgrounds, and tollbooth area, and making ground conditions unsuitable for vehicle traffic only a few days before the event was scheduled to take place. In May 2022, it was announced that

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...

will stream exclusively the festival, alongside

Austin City Limits Music Festival The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-bas ...

and Lollapalooza.

Economy

In 2009 the Bonaroo Works Fund was created as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for the festival. The organization awards grants to local non-profits and schools. By 2013, the direct and indirect economic impact of the festival since inception was estimated at $51 million, including $2.9 million in tax revenue for the year 2012.

Environmentalism

Bonnaroo actively supports recycling and sustainability. In 2011, A Greener Festival recognized Bonnaroo's efforts for the previous three years with an award. In 2004 Bonaroo said it prevented having to collect 120 tons of trash by encouraging fans to recycle. Food and drink are sold in organic and recyclable materials to create less waste. AGF auditors review festivals, as well as requiring their self-evaluation. As of late, Bonnaroo initiates many "green" activities during the festival, such as Planet Roo.

Accolades

When the festival first began in 2002, USA Today referred to Bonnaroo as "The culmination of a musical movement." CNN described it as: "Music and subculture melted together into a pot of creative bubbling energy." In 2008, it was named "Best Festival" by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine, calling it "the ultimate over-the-top summer festival." ''The New York Times'' said "Bonnaroo has revolutionized the modern rock festival" in 2012, and '' Spin'' called it the "Best festival of the summer."

Venues

Notable performances

R&B singer D'Angelo marked his return to American stages for the first time in over 12 years on June 9, 2012, with a surprise performance at the festival's annual Superjam. He was backed by members of the R&B collective The Soulquarians, most notably

Questlove Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Tho ...

, James Poyser and Pino Palladino, with guest guitarist Jesse Johnson. The set was composed almost entirely of covers. Other performers have included

Widespread Panic Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and g ...

(2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011), Phish (2009, 2012, 2019), Dead & Company (2003, 2004, 2016), U2 (2017),

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, g ...

(2008, 2016), Billy Joel (2015), Mumford and Sons (2011, 2015),

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

(2014), Eminem (2011, 2018), Jack White (2014),

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recor ...

(2014), The Flaming Lips (2003, 2007, 2010, 2014),

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

(2013), Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers (2006, 2013),

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

(2013), Red Hot Chili Peppers (2012, 2017),

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass ...

(2006, 2012),

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

(2003, 2011), Dave Matthews Band (2005, 2010),

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

(2010),

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

(2009),

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

(2009),

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

(2008),

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...

(2007), and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

(2004).

Activities

In addition to music, Bonnaroo used to offer comedy, as well as a tent dedicated to showing movies.

Annual attendance

''Note: all figures are approximate'' * 2002: 70,000 * 2003: 80,000 * 2004: 90,000 * 2005: 76,000 * 2006: 80,000 * 2007: 80,000 * 2008: 70,000 * 2009: 75,000–80,000 * 2010: 75,000 * 2011: 80,000 * 2012: 100,000 * 2013: 90,000 * 2014: 90,000+ (''estimated'') * 2015: 74,000 * 2016: 45,500 * 2017: 65,000 * 2019: 100,000 * 2020: 0 (Canceled) * 2021: 0 (Canceled)

By year

2002 Bonnaroo Music Festival In the inaugural year, the Bonnaroo Music Festival was held June 21–23. The more than 70,000 tickets sold out in advance. Lineup June 21st (artists listed from earliest to latest set times) *What Stage: ** Dirty Dozen Brass Band ** DJ Logic ...

2003 Bonnaroo Music Festival The festival ran June 13–15, and 80,000 attended. In 2003, The Bonnaroo organizers planned a festival called Bonnaroo Northeast to take place in Riverhead, Long Island, New York. This festival, as well as the Field Day Festival, another festiva ...

2004 Bonnaroo Music Festival The festival ran June 11, 2004 – June 13, 2004, and more than 90,000 people attended. It was marked by torrential rains, creating an incredibly large amount of mud. Many vehicles had to be towed out of the parking area. Lineup June 11th (artist ...

2005 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2005 Bonnaroo Music Festival took place from June 10–12, and more than 75,000 people were in attendance. New Line Cinema introduced a twenty-four-hour "cinema tent," showing popular and cult films. Wireless Internet access was provided by Ci ...

2006 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2006 festival ran from June 15–18. The headliners for the 2006 festival included Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Beck, and Phil Lesh and Friends. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band was featured in their own tent for three days an ...

2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival The event list of the 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee included: June 15th IDK where to add this but you are missing Ornette Coleman (artists listed from earliest to latest set times) *What Stage: ** Kings of Leon ** The Roots ** Jo ...

2008 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was held June 12–15. Aside from the festival's opening year (2002), attendance at the 2008 event, at approximately 70,000, was the smallest in Bonnaroo's history. Cancellations and rescheduling Bonnaroo ...

2009 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was held June 11–14, 2009 at a farm in Manchester, Tennessee, United States. There were roughly 75,000 people in attendance. The onset of Bonnaroo 2009 was punctuated by monstrous thunderstorms. Thursday ...

2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was held on June 10–13, 2010. The line-up was announced Tuesday, February 9, although the original line-up release date was scheduled for February 2. It was broadcast live on YouTube. Pre-sale tickets ...

2011 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2011 Bonnaroo Music Festival was held June 9–12, in Manchester, Tennessee and marked the 10th time the festival has been held since its inception in 2002. This year also marked the first return of the SuperJam since 2008. Deaths Two festival ...

2012 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2012 Bonnaroo Music Festival was held June 7–10, 2012 in Manchester, Tennessee, United States, and marked the 11th time the festival has been held since its inception in 2002. On March 12, six more artists were added to the line up. Danzig L ...

2013 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2013 Bonnaroo Music Festival was held June 13–16, 2013 in Manchester, Tennessee and marked the 12th time the festival has been held since its inception in 2002. Line-up Thursday, June 13 (artists listed from earliest to latest set times) ...

2014 Bonnaroo Music Festival The 2014 Bonnaroo Music Festival was held June 12–15, 2014 in Manchester, Tennessee, United States, and marked the 13th time the festival has been held since its inception in 2002. Line-up Thursday, June 12 (artists listed from earliest to la ...

* 2015 Bonnaroo Music Festival * 2016 Bonnaroo Music Festival * 2017 Bonnaroo Music Festival * 2018 Bonnaroo Music Festival * 2019 Bonnaroo Music Festival * 2022 Bonnaroo Music Festival

References

External links

Bonnaroo.com
Official Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival website
GreatStagePark.com
Official Site of Bonnaroo Property
Inforoo.com
The Unofficial Bonnaroo Message Board
Survival Guide
Leo's Unofficial Bonnaroo Survival Guide
''How Do You Roo? A Survivor's Pocket Guide to Bonnaroo'' (Lulu, 2010)
The first (and only) unofficial guidebook to the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival {{authority control 2002 establishments in Tennessee Counterculture festivals Jam band festivals Landmarks in Tennessee Music festivals established in 2002 Music festivals in Tennessee Rock festivals in the United States Tourist attractions in Coffee County, Tennessee