Survey sent to festivalgoers suggests a possible retooling of the Tennessee fest, from time of year it’s held to its very existence
Bonnaroo in the fall? Bonnaroo every other year? Bonnaroo at all? These were some of the questions posed to fans in a survey that could dictate the future of the Manchester, Tennessee, festival. Organizers disseminated the survey on Monday via email and on social media, just a week after Bonnaroo was canceled due to flooded campgrounds.
“Bonnaroovians, we’ve begun the process of looking ahead and starting to plan for the future of Roo and we want to hear from you,” the email read. “The first thing we want to take a look at is when Bonnaroo happens each year. How does that affect you and your experience on The Farm? Do certain times of year make it easier or more difficult to attend?”
A link to the survey directed fans to questions like: “Would you attend Bonnaroo if it happened in 2026?”; “Would you attend Bonnaroo if it was a few weeks later in the summer?”; and “Would you attend Bonnaroo if it was in late September/early October?”
The soliciting of fan feedback suggests that Live Nation, who own the festival, are poised to retool the annual June event, which this year was to be headlined by Luke Combs, Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hozier. Of the four, only Combs — the first country star to ever headline Bonnaroo — was able to perform. On Friday, Bonnaroo canceled the remainder of the fest because of rain. The cancellation marks the second time in four years that organizers have been forced to cancel Bonnaroo because of weather. The 2021 installment was nixed before it even began after flood waters made the grounds unsafe.
Last Friday, Bonnaroo addressed fan blowback about a proposed plan for the refunding of ticket costs. At first, the festival was going to refund 75 percent of the costs, but pivoted to a full 100 percent after fans sounded off online, with many signing a petition demanding a full refund.
“We want you to be a part of this process,” the Bonnaroo team wrote to conclude the survey email, “and will keep you posted on any and all updates and likely ask you to weigh in on other considerations in the coming months.”
