Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will not take place in 2027, with organizers announcing that the Tennessee event will take a one-year hiatus to give its longtime home, The Farm in Manchester, time to recover from repeated severe weather. The decision follows two consecutive festival seasons disrupted by storms and flooding.
The 2025 festival was cut short after heavy rain and flooding, and Bonnaroo faced another major weather setback during its 2026 edition. Heavy rain on the festival’s final day caused disruptions, including closures and evacuations in Centeroo, the event’s main performance area. Organizers said the grounds had not had enough time to recover between the two storms.
Bonnaroo had already invested heavily in preparing the 700-acre property for the 2026 festival, including upgraded drainage, 4.5 miles of new roads and 135 acres of new grass across the campgrounds and Centeroo. Despite those improvements, organizers said the back-to-back storms had taken a significant toll on the site. “This wasn’t an easy decision, and not one we take lightly, but in our hearts, we know this break will only make Bonnaroo better,” organizers said.
The hiatus also comes as the broader festival industry faces changing audience habits and financial pressures, particularly for large-scale camping events. Bonnaroo organizers have acknowledged changes in the festival market and challenges surrounding the camping-focused experience. The festival, which debuted in 2002, has become one of the country’s best-known multigenre music gatherings. While reports indicate the festival is expected to return in 2028, specific dates and a lineup have not been announced.
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