At Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, camping is a rite of passage. 

These makeshift homes created for a long weekend on the festival grounds in Manchester, Tennessee, can be flipped into minimalist spaces or reach a new level of glamour with extensive design. To make the most of the weekend, ‘Roovians must embrace the craft of camping alongside thousands of short-term neighbors. 

Bonnaroo takes place Thursday-Sunday this year at Great Stage Park in Coffee County. Campers began loading in Wednesday, ready for a weekend that includes anticipated performances from The Strokes, Rufus Du Sol and Noah Kahan. This year, the Tennessee Department of Transportation expects around 45,000 attendees. 

Organizers of Bonnaroo split Outeroo – the expansive campgrounds – into groups including Roo Galaxy, Mars Colony and Moon Colony. Roo Galaxy houses general admission campers, as well as vendors selling food, festival accessories and other essentials. 

Each space in Roo Galaxy measures roughly 20-by-20 feet, and must fit tents and vehicles for each party. Tents line the acreage, where campers often intricately decorate the outside walls of their tents and the inside communal spaces. 

Bohemian print tapestries, comedic flags and mini disco balls are all common decorations implemented as common camp culture. While others tend to go for a more relaxed approach, sprucing up their campsite with only the basics.  

“The whole experience is to stay here and enjoy some nature,” said Jackson Tinsley, a first time attendee. 

Here’s a look at a few assorted and personalized campsites in Roo Galaxy. 

‘Boytent’

Tinsley, Alex Smith and Lawson Santema decorate the group’s “Boytent” space with one tent and an expanded canopy. The trio fittingly named their Plaza 9 campsite “Boytent.”  

“All are welcome to Boytent,” said Santema, a 21-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 

Boytent’s larger canopy holds a kitchen area with a small food-covered table in the center of the space. These Murfreesboro residents plan to sleep with mats and sleeping bags inside the singular tent. 

Tinsley said his group has two goals: A bare minimum set-up, which combines comfort and practicality with “not dying while camping.” Tinsley said they are prepared for the heat, rain and anything else Mother Nature may bring. 

“Life is about being outside, in my opinion,” Santema said.

‘Camp Cat on a T-rex’ 

New Yorker Kaylee Howard, 25, and five friends occupy a five-space campsite with four tents. The group’s elaborate Plaza 9 camp is concealed with vibrant and comedic tapestries, including a cat riding a tyrannosaurus rex, which inspired the campsite name for the weekend. 

Plant-like vines line the canopy’s handles near the entrance of the tent. Howard and the group collected most of the decorations for the trip. They also pulled from things they already owned. 

Howard is excited for the environment and looks forward to a weekend of music as a first time festival-goer and camper. The intricate setup took over two hours after arriving at the grounds Wednesday morning, she said. 

“I feel like we want it to be fun and colorful,” Howard said. 

‘Camp Joey’

Phoebe Elias, 24, camps with seven other attendees occupying a four-space Plaza 9 campsite. She and the group strive for a relaxed but upgraded camping experience, she said. 

A two-time attendee, Elias and her group try to “upgrade” the common areas within the tent every year. This year, the tent contains an inflatable couch, barbeque grill and bamboo mats to keep any water out. Flowy and stylish sheets also align the parameters of the camp for privacy. 

“Everyone pitched and everybody brought something, so it’s a collective effort,” Elias said. 

The group decided to name the tent “Camp Joey” after an inside joke with a camper they met at last year’s Bonnaroo. Elias said attending one day doesn’t fully give the feel of the community, but camping does. 

“It’s kind of a collective suffering, but it’s like a fun collective suffering,” Elias said.