Story by Sidelines Staff
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival was suspended on Sunday at 5:40 p.m. due to lightning in the area, leading to an hour delay of performances.
Carly Rae Jepsen’s performance on the What Stage was suspended mid-set and organizers delayed Greensky Bluegrass kicking off at This Tent.
A weather alert confirmed the delay on all stage screens with a message that advised festivalgoers to “[p]lease stay away from structures.”
Music resumed at 6:45 p.m., causing slight changes in the festival’s schedule. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit was delayed from 8:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Greensky Bluegrass took the stage at 6:45 p.m. instead of an original set time of 5:45 p.m.
The thunderstorm offered some reprieve to festivalgoers, cooling off Manchester’s 101-degree heat index Sunday afternoon.
“I feel like it’s helpful. People need to know,” said Jezz Tweed, a festivalgoer waiting out the rain near Which stage. “If they don’t do that then accidents can happen.”
Noah Spencer hated to see Charles Wesley Godwin’s set canceled with five minutes left, but on a hot afternoon, “the rain was kind of a good interruption,” he said.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival takes place at Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennessee. Sunday’s anticipated acts included Chappell Roan, Carly Rae Jepsen, Megan Thee Stallion and Jason Isbell.
