(Getty Images)
2023 VenuesNow All-Star Festival
Bonnaroo
Manchester, Tenn.
Although firmly established as a pioneer that was instrumental in shaping the outdoor music festival scene in the United States, Bonnaroo has not lasted more than 20 years without difficulty — from years that went soft, thanks to the whims of music fans, to being canceled due to bad weather, to COVID shutting the whole world down. The outdoor jam on the farm has stuck it out through thick and thin.
“We are proud to have welcomed back 80,000 fans to The Farm for one of the most magical years to date,” Brad Parker, project manager at co-producer C3 Presents, shared via email.
Back in June, it was a good sign that the back rows of the first flight out of La Guardia to Nashville were filled with 20-somethings sporting wristbands to Bonnaroo, a rite of passage for many music fans. This year featured a powerful lineup that included Zeds Dead, Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, ODESZA, Paramore, Subtronics and Pixies, signifying that Bonnaroo is definitely back.
“Bonnaroo this year really felt like Bonnaroo at its most beautiful, and the campgrounds and plazas were a great representation of that,” said Sophie Lobl, global festival promoter at C3 Presents. “ It was a fantastic year, and we can’t wait to share what we are cooking up for 2024.”
The festival grounds were updated with paved roads surrounding the campgrounds and Centeroo, the main event area, with significant investments intended to help make the event less susceptible to weather, too.
Organizers spaced out entry times for the 2023 fest, allowing fans to choose when they could come in when purchasing tickets.
“The priority coming out of 2019 was to nail the basics and get people on the farm and dancing as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Tim “Tuba” Smith, director of festivals and strategic initiatives at C3. “Historically, wait times to enter the campgrounds on a sold-out year could be as high as eight to 12 hours. We are proud to share that this year, peak wait times were reduced to an hour or two with a vehicle processing rate more than double what occurred in 2019.”
