The Bonnaroo Committee’s recent public survey ignited a passionate fan debate on the future direction of the beloved festival following the tumultuous 2025 edition, which was cut short by severe weather and flooding.
Key Takeaways From Fan Input:
- Keep It Classic: Fans overwhelmingly want to preserve Bonnaroo’s four-day “farm” camping identity, emphasizing location and vibe as non-negotiable cornerstones.
- Infrastructure Upgrades: Demand is strong for better paved paths in Outeroo, enhanced emergency plans, expanded late-night stages, and more diverse artist bookings on smaller stages like Infinity and Where in the Woods.
- Safety & Capacity: Concerns over overcrowding and weather risks have sparked calls to reduce capacity to 65K-70K and add more premium camping options.
- Lineup Diversity: Resistance against an EDM-heavy or genre-specific shift remains firm. The community wants to protect Bonnaroo’s eclectic jam and multi-genre heritage.
- Festival Soul & Survey Critique: Many voiced frustration with the survey itself and lamented 2024’s diminished art installations, themed swag, and production quality, fearing a loss of Bonnaroo’s spirit.
- Better Communication & Transparency: Calls for improved customer service, restored community feeling, and clearer explanations about critical operational decisions are common.
The abrupt cancellation this year left attendees heartbroken over lost sets, sparking a strong grassroots movement demanding transparency and communication improvements — including bringing back Radio Bonnaroo and printed schedules/maps for improved emergency messaging.
Bonnaroo now stands at a crucial juncture: either recommit to the culture that made it iconic or evolve to meet modern expectations around safety and comfort. Fans are watching closely — their collective voice louder than ever—to see which path the festival takes next.
Source: r/bonnaroo