On-and-off rain showers in Manchester, Tennessee, brought all-too-familiar muddy grounds to Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on Friday, where acts from The Strokes to Yungblud performed — a welcome distraction from the squishy ground beneath Bonnaroovians’ feet.

Friday was the first full day of music at the four-day festival. Great Stage Park grew crowded as artists drew crowds of fans, and everyone settled in for a weekend of live music and community.

The day was marked by mud, muck and political advocacy, as many artists were outspoken in their sets.

“Your government may make you feel small. Your government may make you feel like you have no power,” said Phoebe Lunny, lead singer of Lambrini Girls. “But you are the ones with all of the power.”

BBNO$ showed his support for the drag community by bringing out backup dancers in drag. During Wet Leg’s set, production repeatedly emphasized a “Free Palestine” sticker on bassist Hester Chambers’ guitar.

Many other artists throughout the day spoke out about various national and global conflicts, like rock band Wednesday’s candid dialogue on ICE, billionaires and more.

The rain also led to shifting schedules and event cancellations. Dora Jar had a shift in performance time and the Giggle’s Stuffed Animal Adoption Event at plaza three in Outeroo was cancelled.

Difficult treks and dirty shoes aside, ‘Roovians made the most of the day. During the Lambrini Girls set, fans in the pit made a slip and slide. During the Geese set, festival-goers formed a mosh pit, trampling each other and hurling mud, Olivia Davis, 24, said.

“It was really slippy and slidey,” Davis said. “It takes a lot longer to get places.”

Davis said she noticed mulch and sand laid out to help with crossing the messier spots.

Vendors and volunteers alike scrambled to make the muck more tolerable for festival-goers, using cardboard as temporary bridges, alerting passersby of large patches of mud and laying mulch to make paths more traversable.

Difficult weather is not new for Bonnaroo, with 2025 being cut short and 2021 being fully canceled due to rain. After Bonnaroo ended early in 2025, festival organizers said they made improvements to the Farm, including improved drainage, reduced capacity and larger acreage. This year, ‘Roovians said they were hoping for a dryer Farm.

Alexa Snyder, 22, navigated the area around That Tent for 20 minutes due to mud. During one of her favorite bands, Geese, she had to leave the pit to take a break from balancing in the mud.

“I just ended up sitting on the outskirts on my blanket,” Snyder said.

Whether artists took time to speak out or just brought infectious passion to the stage, memorable ‘Roo moments cemented their place in festival-goers memory.

The Strokes brought indie rock to the What Stage just weeks before the release date of their new album, “Reality Awaits.” The band accompanied frontman Julian Casablancas’ vocals as he sang fan favorites like “The Adults Are Talking” and even took a request from a fan leaning against the barricade.

Casablancas complimented the day two line-up, giving specific shoutouts to Geese and Turnstile.

“It’s basically what our line-up would be if we had a festival,” Casablancas said. “So, thanks for coming to our festival.”