Sandal Khan
Heavy rain and flooding forced Bonnaroo Music Festival organizers to cancel three days of the four-day event in Manchester, Tennessee on Friday, June 13. The cancellation came after just one day of performances, leaving thousands of music fans disappointed and facing a sudden evacuation.
“We are beyond gutted, but we must make the safest decision and cancel the remainder of Bonnaroo,” festival organizers announced in a statement. They cited “significant and steady precipitation that will produce deteriorating camping and egress conditions in the coming days” as the reason for shutting down.
The rain had already created serious problems at the festival grounds, known as “The Farm.” Many camping areas were waterlogged, with some attendees reporting flooded tents and muddy conditions across the site. Festival officials noted that “some of your fellow campers’ sites are in rough shape” and that certain parts of the property had become “difficult to manage” due to the weather.
Organizers suspended shows around 1 p.m. on Friday due to approaching storm cells and evacuated the main festival area, Centeroo, shortly after. By evening, they announced the complete cancellation of all remaining performances.
“The rain has been CRAZY this year, be safe y’all,” wrote one concert update account on social media. Another user commented, “Friday the 13th hitting hard this year,” highlighting the unfortunate timing.
This marks the third significant disruption for Bonnaroo in recent years. The festival was previously canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and in 2021 because of Hurricane Ida, showing a troubling pattern of weather-related challenges for the popular event.
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The National Weather Service forecast predicted continued heavy rainfall throughout the weekend, which would have further deteriorated ground conditions and potentially created dangerous situations for the thousands of attendees.
Festival officials implemented a careful evacuation plan, prioritizing campers in the worst-affected areas and those with accessibility needs. Food, health, and safety stations remained operational throughout the evacuation process to support departing attendees.
Several artists who were scheduled to perform—including Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier, Avril Lavigne, and Vampire Weekend—had their shows canceled. However, some performers quickly organized alternative shows in Nashville, about 65 miles from Manchester, allowing disappointed fans to salvage part of their weekend.
Venues like Brooklyn Bowl, The Pinnacle, Cannery Hall, and Barstool Nashville stepped in to host these impromptu performances. Remi Wolf’s “Insanely Fire 1970’s Pool Party Superjam,” originally scheduled for June 14 at Bonnaroo, moved to Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville on the same day.
Attendees with single-day tickets for Friday through Sunday will receive full refunds, while those with four-day passes will get 75% of their money back, acknowledging that Thursday’s events proceeded as planned. According to organizers, refunds will be processed within approximately 30 days.
“We have put our hearts and souls into making this weekend the most special one of the year, and cannot express how crushed we are to have to make this decision,” the festival statement continued, thanking fans for their “patience, positivity and unfailing Bonnaroovian spirit” during the disappointing turn of events.
