Anything great is worth waiting for. At least, that’s what festival-goers are telling themselves after organizers revealed there would be no Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in 2027.
TL;DR
- The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will not return until 2028.
- Organizers wrote, “The Farm, particularly the main venue, needs a break to rest and recover.”
“As you know, we spent a great deal of effort and money working to improve the campgrounds and Centeroo in the months leading into the 2026 festival. That included improved drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways, and 135 acres of new grass, all of which strengthened The Farm’s resiliency to Mother Nature. With limited time to recuperate from back-to-back years of storms, including the heavy rainstorm on Sunday this year, The Farm, particularly the main venue, needs a break to rest and recover,” organizers wrote. “So, here’s what we’ve decided: Bonnaroo will be taking a much-needed year off in 2027. 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. We hope you’ll continue radiating positivity in your community throughout the year, and thank you for loving this festival as much as we do.”
The Beastie Boys played their final show with the late MCA at the festival in 2009. D’Angelo ended a 12-year performance layoff at the event in 2012. Bringing more than 70,000 fans to Manchester, Tenn., annually, Bonnaroo is one of the biggest music festivals in the U.S., but it isn’t impervious to global pandemics and climate shifts.
In 2020 and 2021, the festival was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19. In 2025, the festival was called off because of flooding. While the festival returned in 2026, it reportedly did so with a noticeable dip in attendance. Now, organizers will regroup, let the grounds recover and return in 2028.
