Bonnaroo is taking a year off. Organizers of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival announced Friday, August 21, that the beloved Tennessee festival will not take place in 2027, marking an unexpected pause for one of America’s biggest and most distinctive music festivals. The decision comes after two consecutive years of severe weather disrupted the festival at its Manchester, Tennessee, home, known affectionately to Bonnaroovians as The Farm. Organizers said the grounds need time to “rest and recover” following the storms, including the heavy rain that affected this year’s festival. Bonnaroo needs a break
In a message to fans, the Bonnaroo team explained that considerable work had already gone into preparing The Farm for the 2026 festival. That included improved drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways and 135 acres of new grass, all intended to make the property more resilient to extreme weather. Despite those improvements, another round of heavy rain hit the festival this summer. After back-to-back years of storms, organizers ultimately decided that pushing ahead with another festival in 2027 would not give the grounds enough time to recover properly. “The Farm, particularly the main venue, needs a break to rest and recover.”
According to Consequence, the organizers acknowledged that skipping an entire year was not an easy decision, but said they believe the pause will ultimately make Bonnaroo better. The festival’s 2025 edition was cut short because of severe flooding, while the 2026 event also dealt with significant rain, including disruptions on its final day. Those setbacks came after the festival had already faced cancellations during the pandemic era and in 2021 because of Hurricane Ida. The difference this time is that Bonnaroo is making the decision itself.
It’s a disappointing announcement for fans, particularly after Bonnaroo successfully returned in 2026, but it also allows the festival to focus on the long-term health of the property. What happens to Bonnaroo now? For the moment, there will simply be no Bonnaroo in 2027.
