Photos and story by Karly Cordell / Contributing Writer
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival had another successful turnout, hosting thousands of concert-goers and festival attendees from near and far in Manchester, Tennessee, this past weekend.
Located on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, thousands flock to the small Tennessee town to camp on the festival grounds each June.
The festival hosted big headliners such as Eminem, Sheryl Crow, Muse, Bassnectar and The Killers.
The four-day festival is best known for hosting a wide array of music genres as well as camping on the farm grounds, allowing festival attendees to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere of music and art.
“Centeroo,” the heart of the festival grounds, contains eight stages for artists to perform on, not including areas that host activities and DJ sets such as Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Barn, The Silent Disco and The Oasis.
Nick Mullins, a three year Bonnaroo veteran, said that the festival is what he looks forward to most every year.
“Each year is a learning experience and just gets better and better,” Mullins said. “I love seeing some of my favorite artists while also being able to discover new and upcoming musicians or music groups. Just because a musician isn’t well-known doesn’t mean they aren’t good.
After LiveNation took over the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in 2015, many dedicated “Bonnaroovians” spoke up regarding the unwanted changes to both the festival’s venue and lineup.
After seeing the additions made on the farm this year, it seems as if their voices were heard.
Sunrise sets were brought back to the festival grounds, new barns that hosted campground karaoke and dance parties were added to the camping plazas and new LED lighting colorfully lit the trees at night.
In addition to music, Bonnaroo also offers other activities on the farm such as scheduled parades, a comedy lineup, scheduled “Yoga-roo” sessions, an on-site Broo’ers Festival for beer lovers and the Sixth First Annual Roo Run for attendees who enjoy running.
According to the official Bonnaroo website, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be held next year on June 13-16, 2019. The later-than-usual scheduled dates will not correspond with the neighboring CMA Fest held in Nashville, Tennessee, opening up the chance for higher ticket sales from the Middle Tennessee area.
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