Story by Kailee Shores
Photo by Brian Branch
MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival returned to Great Stage Park, affectionately known as “The Farm” to Bonnaroovians, in Manchester, Tennessee on Thursday, and set up camp through Sunday.
Thousands of ticket holders flooded the small Tennessee town beginning on Tuesday to wait for entry to their campsites. Four-day tickets sold out early Thursday, before the festival got started. For those who want to attend the festival but are a bit late to the game, a few one-night passes are available.
A Bonnaroo official said this year’s event attracted about 80,000 attendees. That is about 6.8 times the population of Manchester itself, all concentrated on one square mile of land. Before they flocked to the farm, ticket holders congregated in the Walmart parking lot on Highway 41. Meanwhile, street traffic both on I-24 and the main thoroughfares in Manchester become crowded.
The concert line-up this year includes well-known artists like Kendrick Lamar, Odesza and The Foo Fighters alongside many other artists, making for no shortage of entertainment.
Bonnaroo obviously exists for concertgoers to catch a glimpse of their favorite artists all in one place, but more important to many is the culture of the festival.
With events like “Ask Nasa Anything,” “Kendell Marvel’s Honky Tonk Experience,” and “Lazerpantz Clown Carnival,” there isn’t anywhere in the world quite like Bonnaroo.
Each section of the campground has a plaza where funky groups perform all weekend.
If you so wish, you can get hitched in the House of Mootrimony. If spontaneously getting married at a music festival isn’t quite your speed, you can set your own pace in the Roo Run 5-K on Saturday.
“All the big festivals feel very different… my brother and I tried to compare Bonnaroo and Coachella, but aside from the concerts, you really can’t compare them. They are nothing alike,” said one of the vendors, as she was airbrushing a customer with glitter.
Outfits range from full-body unicorn costumes to nothing at all. There is glitter everywhere all the time. Fran Houseton, Devin Fare and Clayborne Fare, all from Memphis, donned homemade mushroom hats.
Music at the festival is just as diverse as the crowd it attracts. From Sheryl Crow to Korn to Diarrhea Planet, there’s something for everyone. DJ Diesel, better known as Shaquille O’Neal, will be playing a set on Friday.
The festival is a haven for those who can’t express themselves elsewhere. The theme of the weekend is peace, love and acceptance. It is a place free from judgment and hate. As the Bonnaroovians say, Happy Roo!
Kailee Shores is the News Editor for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact News Editor Kailee Shores and Assistant News Editor Alyssa Williams, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com.
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