After Days Of Speculation & Concern, Popular Music Festival Bonnaroo Confirms 2027 Hiatus
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Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival finally announced on Friday (August 21) that it will not be returning in 2027 following lots of speculation and concern from fans.
What Is Bonnaroo Music Festival?
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is a large, four-day music and arts festival held each June on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Founded in 2002 by AC Entertainment and Superfly Presents, Bonnaroo was created to bring together a wide variety of music, art, camping, and community experiences in one place.
The first festival was a huge success, selling more than 70,000 tickets without traditional advertising and featuring artists such as Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, Trey Anastasio, Norah Jones, and the Del McCoury Band.
Over the years, Bonnaroo has grown from its early roots in jam bands, rock, and Americana into a genre-spanning festival featuring hip-hop, pop, electronic music, country, indie rock, jazz, and more.
Some of its past headliners have included Luke Combs, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, and Elton John. Beyond the music, Bonnaroo is known for its large camping community, late-night performances, art installations, food, and activities that encourage festival-goers to spend the entire weekend immersed in the experience.
The festival’s name comes from a Cajun expression associated with celebration and was also used in the title of a Dr. John album. Today, Bonnaroo is widely recognized as one of the major music festivals in the United States.
Fans Began To Worry When There Wasn’t A 2027 Announcement Earlier This Week
Many dedicated Bonnaroo-goers who call themselves Roovians, noticed that in mid-August, the festival had yet to announce the dates for 2027, which was uncharacteristic.
Many Roovians took to social media to voice their concerns about the lack of announcement. The concerns even reached The What Podcast, where one of the hosts revealed they reached out to Bonnaroo for answers, but was given the run around.
“I did ask officially. I asked through the channels, I went all the way to the top and they just because they’re dealing with other stuff is what I was told. They just don’t have them yet. So read into that what you want, but yes, we don’t have dates,” the host said.
A popular social media account @TheFestiveOwl also addressed the concern and speculation On Thursday (August 20).
Bonnaroo Confirmed A 2027 Hiatus – But Why?
The festival clearly saw all the concern online, so they knew they’d have to make a statement before the week was over to ease the minds of their fans.
On Friday (August 21), Bonnaroo announced that they “will be taking a much-needed year off in 2027.”
The festival said:
“To our Bonnaroo Family, THANK YOU for an epic Bonnaroo 2026. Our hearts are filled to the brim from the weekend that we shared in June. The Farm remains as special as ever, and for a few days, we were once again reminded of the good things in this world.”
They explained the reason is because weather took a toll on the festival grounds in 2026, despite all the improvements they made to prepare for the June 2026 festival.
“As you know, we spent a great deal of effort and money working to improve the campgrounds and Centeroo in the months leading into the 2026 festival. That included improved drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways, and 135 acres of new grass, all which strengthened The Farm’s resiliency to Mother Nature,” the festival wrote in a statement. “With limited time to recuperate from back to back years of storms, including the heavy rainstorm on Sunday this year, The Farm, particularly the main venue, needs a break to rest and recover.”
The statement continued,
“So, here’s what we’ve decided: Bonnaroo will be taking a much-needed year off in 2027. This wasn’t an easy decision, and not one we take lightly, but in our hearts, we know this break will only make Bonnaroo better. We hope you’ll continue radiating positivity in your community throughout the year and thank you for loving this festival as much as we do.”
Some news outlets speculated that CMA Fest pushing back their 2027 festival one week later than normal also affected Bonnaroo’s decision. CMA Fest is usaully the first weekend of June, but in 2027, it will be held the second weekend of June from June 10-13, 2027.
Bonnaroo was previously canceled in 2021 before opening day due to weather, while in 2025, it was canceled after the first day due to worsening weather (lightning and heavy rain) and localized flooding.
We hope that Bonnaroo can return in 2028!
See the statement below.
