About Bonnaroo
*All the straight forward stuff including general facts about Bonnaroo and Bonnaroo history- for my personal experience with the festival head on over to the “My Bonnaroo” page*
Created by Superfly Productions in 2002, Bonnaroo has played host to jam and independent bands alike on the beautiful 700 acre stretch of Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennessee. It was actually during the early 70′s that Dr. John made the word “Bonnaroo,” Cajun for “really good time,” mainstream with the release of his 1974 album Desitively Bonnaroo.
Bonnaroo, which boasts a over a hundred performers per festival, was recently named best festival by Rolling Stone magazine who had this to say about the event- “Coachella might have Cameron Diaz in the VIP tent, and Lollapalooza might draw more fans, but Bonnaroo — where 80,000 congregate each summer in the wilds of Manchester, Tennessee — is the ultimate over-the-top summer festival.”
530 of those 700 acres are dedicated to the camping grounds and, in my opinion, are an essential component to the Bonnaroo experience. People from around the country pack up their (hopefully green) cars and make the long trek to stake their claim at themed campsites supporting colorful vendors and unique art installations (for my personal experience go to the My Bonnaroo page).
The magic happens in the nucleus of Bonnaroo, also known as Centeroo, the heart of the festival. Centeroo, an outdoor venue, is the grounds for main stages, minor stages and all of the accouterments that go with them. People looking to gain three day access to the main arena should grab Bonnaroo tickets quickly, as prices usually rise as the event gets closer.
What Stage is the main stage and has a 100,000 person capacity; all Attention is directed toward What Stage while headliners (such as Radiohead and Widespread Panic in years past) perform as remaining stages are shut down during this time.
Other stages include Which Stage, the second largest venue which hosts late night shows after the main act and larger names during the day:
This Tent, That Tent and The Other Tent are stages for smaller acts, super jams and Late Night shows with DJ’s like Girl Talk and Sasha.
This Tent
That Tent
The Other Tent (blurry)
To accompany all of the music going on, there is: a comedy tent that showcases big names like Chris Rock, Flight of the Conchords and Dave Attell; A solar powered stage that conducts morning yoga classes, dance shows and environmental presentations; A Sonic Stage featuring headliners in an intimate setting (acoustic-style). A cinema tent featuring documentaries, independant movies like “This is Spinal Tap” and any large games sports fans don’t want to miss; A silent disco for those who would rather enjoy the night without disturbing thousands passed out in their temporary homes; A handful of cafes and mini tents including the Broo’ers Festival which serves local beers daily, a kidz jam to drop the little ones off, a full market with enivornmentally friendly items and far out wares and a fuse barn, allowing any brave soul to pick up provided instruments and jam out.
So, as you can see, there is no excuse to be bored at Bonnaroo because this festival covers every facet of human interest! But I really can’t cover the full scope of the Bonnaroo experience, you just have to grab some Bonnaroo tickets and see for yourself!
