Just days before Bonnaroo was set to kick off, organizers have pulled the plug on the annual music festival due to unsafe conditions caused by Hurricane Ida.
In a message emailed to fans and shared via social media, Bonnaroo organizers explained that much of Centeroo (where the stages and activations are set) and the surrounding campgrounds became so waterlogged from rain that the grounds have been rendered unusable and unsafe.
“We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we must cancel Bonnaroo,” read the note. “While this weekend’s weather looks outstanding, currently Centeroo is waterlogged in many areas, the ground is incredibly saturated on our tollbooth paths, and the campgrounds are flooded to the point that we are unable to drive in or park vehicles safely.”
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Promising a return to the festival’s regular June timing next year, the organizers went on to say:
“We have done everything in our power to try to keep the show moving forward, but Mother Nature has dealt us a tremendous amount of rain over the past 24 hours, and we have run out of options to try to make the event happen safely and in a way that lives up to the Bonnaroo experience.
Please find ways to safely gather with your Bonnaroo community and continue to radiate positivity during this disappointing time. WE WILL SEE YOU ON THE FARM IN JUNE 2022!
All tickets purchased through Front Gate Tickets will be refunded in as little as 30 days to the original method of payment.”
This year’s Bonnaroo had already dealt with a number of inconveniences, mostly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Acts like Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and Defontes pulled out in July, with Khruangbin and RÜFÜS DU SOL brought on as replacements. Then just three weeks ago, the festival finally announced its COVID-19 restrictions, requiring all attendees to either have proof of vaccination or negative tests within 72 hours of first entering Centeroo, with all unvaccinated attendees asked to wear masks.
That alone didn’t give unvaccinated Bonnaroovians much time to get their shots, and things only got more precarious once Ida started moving inward. In preparation for the rain, Bonnaroo first pushed back the campgrounds’ opening from Tuesday to Wednesday, and shortly thereafter announced that camping capacity would be greatly reduced due to soaked fields. The anticipated daily traffic increase prompted some local schools to close down for the rest of the week.
With the festival also called off last year when the pandemic was at its (initial) peak, this will mark two years in a row that the beloved Tennessee event will not take place. Find Bonnaroo’s full cancelation statement below.
Editor’s Note: Music festival junkies can still get their Bonnaroo fix by checking out The What Podcast, our weekly podcast dedicated to the live music and festival scene.
We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we must cancel Bonnaroo. While this weekend’s weather looks outstanding, currently Centeroo is waterlogged in many areas, the ground is incredibly saturated on our tollbooth paths, and the campgrounds are flooded to the point that…
— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) August 31, 2021
safely and in a way that lives up to the Bonnaroo experience.
Please find ways to safely gather with your Bonnaroo community and continue to radiate positivity during this disappointing time. WE WILL SEE YOU ON THE FARM IN JUNE 2022!— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) August 31, 2021
All tickets purchased through Front Gate Tickets will be refunded in as little as 30 days to the original method of payment.
Advertisement— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) August 31, 2021
