Last month, severe weather forced the cancellation of Tennessee's Bonnaroo Festival, which was already underway. This was a total nightmare for everyone involved, and it was not without precedent. It was the third time in five years that Bonnaroo, one of North America's largest music festivals, had to cancel, and it was clear that things couldn't keep going like that. Bonaroo planners started consider the idea that they might move to a different weekend. Today, however, the team behind Bonnaroo announced that the festival will return to the same location on the same weekend next year -- June 11-14 at the Farm in Manchester. Next time, though, some things will be different.
In an announcement posted on social media, Bonnaroo planners claim that this year's weather was a freak occurrence: "Weather experts have confirmed that we saw record-setting rainfall this spring and early summer, making what we experienced extremely uncommon. All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo." As Steve Miller knows, "extremely uncommon" weather is becoming a whole lot more common these days. But the Bonnaroo team is also planning to spend millions improving the festival's campgrounds and other areas, hopefully making them better able to withstand that kind of weather. They have also promised to stop using the campground areas that were most affected by flooding. Here's the full announcement:
We've been taking your feedback to heart over the past few weeks as we plan improvements and talk about what's next for the festival. And now, it's time to share those plans with you:
BONNAROO WILL RETURN TO THE FARM JUNE 11-14, 2026!
Some things will change, and some will remain the same. Here's what you can expect in 2026:
• Campsites located in areas most affected by flooding will not be utilized. This will result in a reduced capacity on The Farm (more dancing space).
• Camping entry and programming in Outeroo will begin on Wednesday.
• We'll kick things off Thursday evening on the What Stage with an epic welcome party. All other Centeroo stages will be programmed in full Friday through Sunday with your traditional Centeroo Experience.
• The Where in the Woods UFO Stage will be making its landing in Centeroo. This will take the place of the Infinity Stage and feature late night DJs and dance parties. The Where in the Woods space will continue to serve as a relaxation haven in Outeroo.
• Centeroo and the caliber of artists you expect from us will remain very similar to previous years.
After the cancellation from Hurricane Ida in 2021, we consulted with drainage and land management experts to improve conditions on The Farm in the event of heavy, sustained rain. We created a multi-million-dollar multi-year plan and have been tackling projects post-festival each year. These improvements have helped, but there is still more work to do.
In the 2025/2026 off-season we'll be dedicating an additional multi-million-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritize the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025. Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways.
We appreciate your feedback on future Bonnaroo dates, and we heard you loud and clear that your strong preference is to keep Bonnaroo in June.
Weather experts have confirmed that we saw record-setting rainfall this spring and early summer, making what we experienced extremely uncommon. All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo.
See you in 2026 ⛺️🌈 pic.twitter.com/j3mZqzQQuR
— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) July 17, 2025
