Bonnaroo Taking ‘Much-Needed Year Off’ in 2027

We apologize to be the bearer of bad news: The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is taking a year off. Organizers for the fest, traditionally held every June since 2002 in Manchester, Tennessee, posted on social media that the fest “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,” the statement read. Bonnaroo has often released its dates for the next year’s festival early.

Promoters rolled out the 2026 dates in July 2025, but dates for the 2027 edition were still not announced by August. C3 Presents, owned by Live Nation, produces and operates the festival. Earlier this month, Barry Courter, one of the hosts of Bonnaroo-centric The What podcast, shared an update with fans amid swirling rumors that the beloved fest had been canceled.

Courter said he had asked fest officials why 2027 dates hadn’t been posted. In the past, weather and the pandemic have proved to be a formidable adversary for Bonnaroo. The 2020 installation was canceled due to Covid-19.

The 2021 event was pushed to September over lingering Covid concerns, but then Hurricane Ida forced its cancellation when rains turned the Farm into a muddy mess. In 2025, Bonnaroo kicked off on schedule, but more heavy rains ultimately led to the cancellation of the remainder of the festival and sent thousands of disgruntled fans packing up early. Following the cancellation, C3 Presents polled fans on the future of Bonnaroo.

A link to the survey directed fans to questions like: “Would you attend Bonnaroo if it was a few weeks later in the summer?” and “Would you attend Bonnaroo if it was in late September/early October?” Bonnaroo successfully returned in June of this year — reportedly spending millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements to help the Farm better withstand heavy rain — and saw Noah Kahan, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Mountain Grass Unit, Passion Pit, Modest Mouse, Turnstile, and more stop by the Farm. But the festival wasn’t without its share of weather delays. A storm on the final day of Bonnaroo forced the evacuation of the site and the cancellation of some artists’ performances.

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.”