2021 Bonnaroo Festival Canceled

For the second straight year, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., has been canceled. Heavy rains brought about by Hurricane Ida forced the cancelation of this weekend’s (Sept. 2-5) event.

Jason Isbell, Breland, Grace Potter and Niko Moon were among the country artists set to perform at Bonnaroo this year. A lengthy Twitter thread explains that standing water and the expectation of more rain over the next 24 hours made it unsafe to proceed as planned.

The Foo Fighters, Lizzo and Tyler, the Creator were three of the fest headliners, while the Grand Ole Opry was set to be featured on Thursday (Sept. 2).

The full explanation is that Centeroo is waterlogged, with campgrounds flooded to the point that driving and parking is unsafe.

“We have done everything in our power to try to keep the show moving forward, but Mother Nature has dealt us a tremendous amount of rain over the past 24 hours, and we have run out of options to try to make the event happen safely and in a way that lives up to the Bonnaroo experience,” a tweet from the fest’s page reads.

All tickets purchased through Front Gate Tickets will be refunded in as little as 30 days. Fans are understandably upset, but many also shared video of the campgrounds, displaying a tremendous amount of standing water.

Earlier, the Tennessean reported that refunds were being offered as the festival anticipated having to shrink the campgrounds. Bonnaroo tried to encourage attendees to radiate positivity during the cancelation, promising to be back next June, but few were positive in the replies on Twitter.

Others were more understanding. In 2020, Bonnaroo was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even in 2021, festival attendees were going to need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to be allowed in.

Additional performers set to play Bonnaroo in 2021 were Megan Thee Stallion, Tame Impala, Lana Del Rey and My Morning Jacket.