Photo Credit: RecoilRick / CC by 2.0
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will not take place next year, festival organizers announced on Friday.
On Friday, August 21, organizers of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival made the difficult announcement that the event will not take place in 2027. Organizers cited a “much-needed year off” to let the festival grounds, dubbed The Farm, recover from consecutive years of intense storms.
“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,” a message posted to the festival’s website reads.
Bonnaroo takes place in the first weekend in June, but it has been pummeled by severe weather over the past several years. In 2025, heavy rain and flooding forced the festival to cancel the remainder of its scheduling after just one day, sending a notice to festivalgoers to evacuate the grounds.
Afterward, organizers said they invested heavily in improved drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways, and 135 acres of new grass ahead of the festival’s 2026 edition. However, while the 2026 festival went off with less trouble than the year prior, severe weather still forced officials to evacuate and temporarily close the main area of the venue, Centeroo, on the final day of the festival. Parts of the grounds remained severely muddy.
“We spent a great deal of effort and money working to improve the campgrounds and Centeroo in the months leading into the 2026 festival,” they explained. “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.”
Festival organizers expressed their belief that taking a year off will be better for Bonnaroo in the long run.
“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,” organizers wrote.
Of course, Bonnaroo has faced negative impacts beyond just the weather. In 2020, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, and the 2021 event was pushed back to September over lingering COVID-related concerns—but then Hurricane Ida forced its ultimate cancellation.
In 2025, the festival kicked off on schedule, but inclement weather affected the event and led to the cancellation of the remainder of Bonnaroo that year, sending fans packing. Bonnaroo returned successfully in 2026, following millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements. But a storm on the final day of the festival forced evacuation of the site yet again and the cancellation of some artists’ sets.
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