Bonnaroo has announced it will not be taking place in 2027, opting for a fallow year.
The festival offered a statement on their website and social media platforms confirming that the festival will not be held next year. Organizers site the need to allow the festival grounds “to recuperate from back to back year of storms, including the heavy rainstorm on Sunday this year…” Read the full message below.
Produced by Live Nation’s C3 Presents, Bonnaroo invested “a great deal of effort and money” into improvements to fortify the festival grounds’ “resiliency to Mother Nature” ahead of the 2026 event. This came on the back of a 2025 event that was canceled after one day due to flooding from severe weather, and a 2021 edition that was initially postponed to September due to COVID-19 and eventually called off altogether following Hurricane Ida. Although the festival did proceed in 2026, it wasn’t without its own weather issues, including a forced evacuation and canceled acts on its final day.
This marks the first time since the festival was founded in 2002 that organizers have been voluntarily canceled. Prior to the weather related cancelations, the only other missed year was 2020, when the entire live music industry was shut down.
Speculation that Bonnaroo would not return in 2027 has been rampant across social media in recent weeks. As of yesterday (August 20th), The Tennessean had reported that local Manchester officials had not received word on the festival’s plans for next year. The newspaper also notes that more wet weather is anticipated in the area early next year due to a strengthening El Niño system.
Following the ’25 cancelation, festival organizers surveyed fans about whether they would attend a Bonnaroo held later in the summer or even “late September/early October.” After the completion of this year’s fest, they launched their annual music poll to see what artists festivalgoers would want to see in 2027; unsurprisingly, that post has now been taken down.
“To our Bonnaroo Family, THANK YOU for an epic Bonnaroo 2026. Our hearts are filled to the brim from the weekend that we shared in June. The Farm remains as special as ever, and for a few days, we were once again reminded of the good things in this world.
As you know, we spent a great deal of effort and money working to improve the campgrounds and Centeroo in the months leading into the 2026 festival. That included improved drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways, and 135 acres of new grass, all which strengthened The Farm’s resiliency to Mother Nature. With limited time to recuperate from back to back years of storms, including the heavy rainstorm on Sunday this year, The Farm, particularly the main venue, needs a break to rest and recover.
So, here’s what we’ve decided: Bonnaroo will be taking a much-needed year off in 2027. This wasn’t an easy decision, and not one we take lightly, but in our hearts, we know this break will only make Bonnaroo better.
We hope you’ll continue radiating positivity in your community throughout the year and thank you for loving this festival as much as we do.
Love,
The Bonnaroo Team ❤️”
This is a developing story…
