Photo Credit: Wet Leg performing at Bonnaroo 2026 (Live Nation)
Bonnaroo survived 2026 despite numerous weather-related setbacks, rescheduled acts, and cancelled sets. So what’s in store for 2027?
Manchester, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival made its highly anticipated return in 2026 after adverse weather caused tons of fan frustration in 2025 and organizers promised infrastructure improvements going forward. But this year’s iteration was similarly bogged down in weather-related setbacks, leading to confusing schedule reworks and 11 cancelled sets—and more frustrated fans.
According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Bonnaroo was expected to attract around 45,000 people this year, compared to peak attendance numbers of around 80,000 in the festival’s strongest years. This year, attendees were treated to muddy grounds, cancellations, rescheduled sets, and high food prices. And that’s not much of an improvement over last year, but at least the whole thing wasn’t cancelled early.
“I think last year really traumatized people because they weren’t prepared for the […] tsunami that came through here,” one attendee said.
Organizers made the decision in 2025 to end the festival Friday evening after severe storms ravaged the festival grounds all afternoon, causing flooding and damage to the campground. A month later, festival organizers announced plans to improve several aspects of the festival’s layout and infrastructure, including reduced camping capacity, later camping entry, improved drainage, and added pathways.
This year, the festival saw only light rain on Friday morning and early afternoon, followed by a night of muddy concerts. Several vendors became surrounded by puddles, and some of their tents even caved in from the downpour.
“We had told Bonnaroo staff that [the rain] was starting to pull down on the tent Thursday evening,” said a food vendor manager. “They were like, ‘We’ll handle it.’ And then it all collapsed.”
However, even affected vendors said they believed the improvements made to drainage systems helped with the rain and flooding. Even with some tents collapsing, it was “a lot better than last year.”
Nevertheless, by Sunday, 11 sets were forced to cancel altogether because of inclement weather conditions. The festival grounds were closed following an evacuation of Centeroo on Sunday afternoon—itself following a postponement of the day’s activities. The grounds, including Centeroo, eventually reopened, but a total of 11 sets were forced to cancel to accommodate a reworked schedule.
That was particularly painful for fans of pop-rock duo Aly & AJ, who saw their Bonnaroo set cancelled for the second year in a row.
“We know so many of you were waiting in the mud to hear us play,” they wrote on Instagram. “We love you, TN. Don’t let us down, third year in a row.”
Now, with multiple years of the festival being ravaged by adverse weather, organizers are looking into the possibility of moving Bonnaroo to late September. While nothing has been set in stone yet, those looking to attend Bonnaroo 2027 should keep their calendars open.
