Bonnaroo is an annual summer music festival that takes place in June in Manchester, Tennessee, U.S. The very first Bonnaroo was organized by music promoter Ashley Capps in 2002 with about 70,000 people in attendance. Named after the album Desitively Bonnaroo by Dr. John, the four-day festival took place on a 700-acre farm, which is now called Great Stage Park.

 

Because the festival isn’t limited to a certain genre of music, fans of a variety of music could enjoy the performances here. In the past, artists like Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Emmylou Harris, Eminem, Bob Dylan, and more have performed at Bonnaroo. Since the festival is four days long, many attendees stay on-site at special areas designated specifically for camping. There is even an area for children that is provided by a nonprofit organization that “promotes family-friendly activities at rock festivals”. (Britannica)

​

Bonnaroo’s annual attendance rate has changed from year to year. On average, Bonnaroo usually has 70,000-80,000 people in attendance. The lowest attendance was 45,000 in 2016, and the highest was in 2012 with 100,000 people in attendance. (SeatGeek)

​

Bonnaroo is known for its efforts to be sustainable. From the very beginning, the festival organizers have gone to great lengths to make the festival more accommodating for the Earth. In 2002, organizers gained their own lighting for the site and rented poles locally to reduce truck emissions. The security team is also on horseback to reduce the amount to motor vehicles at the site. Bonnaroo has also partnered with Clean Vibes, which is a company formed to safely and responsibly manage waste on-site at music festivals. (Bonnaroo.com)

​

According to the Tennessean, the 2019 version of the festival was predicted by organizers to sell out for the first time since 2013 when Paul McCartney headlined the festival. In 2016, ticket sales were at an all time low of 46,000, but in 2019, there were 80,000 attendees. Bonnaroo 2019 was headlined by Phish, Childish Gambino, and Post Malone; however, the festival's co-founder Ashley Capps said there was an increase in ticket sales before the lineup had been released. In November of 2018, a pre-sale was opened for six weeks long before performers were announced. This pre-sale turned out to be the largest in Bonnaroo history. Capps credits that to the festival being "an experience" for music fans, as nearly "all of the attendees camp on site for four days, and last year, the festival made huge overhauls in the campgrounds, offering round-the-clock entertainment and activities" (Tennessean). 

​

That being said, the lineup was also a "point of pride, especially the return of jam band Phish, whose own festivals in the '90s inspired the first Bonnaroo." Capps' team usually takes care of the booking nowadays, but this time he got involved in bringing back Phish to keep the festival "'true to our roots.'" (Tennessean). 

 

Bonnaroo selling out in 2019 is good news for the economy in Coffee County, TN. The combination of both tickets and on-site sales typically add up to about $1.2 million, which is roughly a fourth of the county's annual sales tax collections. As of 2019, one recent economic impact report showed that Bonnaroo generates about $56 Million for the regional economy.

​

​