A Bonnareview
This is a post by MidSouth Night Signal on IG and FB
I’ve been reluctant to write this and share my experience. Mostly because I wanted to recover and reflect on my time spent at Bonnaroo. When I think back to Bonnaroo, I remember all the people, music, prep, late nights, fun, lessons, food, vendors, cops, fermented mulch smell, social media drama, car trouble, the drive home, recovery time, and so so much more. Bonnaroo 2026 was my first time doing a “real” camping festival, and I have to say, it did not disappoint.
Before arriving, I thought I knew exactly what Bonnaroo was going to be. I expected incredible music, a campsite that would test my patience, five days of surviving the Tennessee heat, and enough unforgettable memories to justify all the planning that went into it. I expected to come home tired, sunburned, and already thinking about next year's lineup.
What I didn't expect was to leave feeling like I'd learned something about myself.
Several resources provided by the people of Bonnaroo helped tremendously in getting prepared for the festival. The What Podcast was always a delight to listen to and a great resource for what to expect and what to consider when going. Even though sometimes I would get a little frustrated with the old guys and not knowing some of the artists coming! I’m mostly teasing, and they were great to listen to and build up hype leading up to Roo. Bonnaroo: A Loophole into Reality Facebook Page was easily one of the best resources we used to get ready and come up with ideas for how to tackle 5 days of camping. Some honorable mentions are The Birdsong Blitz Podcast, Story Time at the Roo Bus, the Bonnaroo Reddit page, and all the social media influencers covering what to bring and what to leave. From pool noodles on canopy tops and frozen water bottles to the eternal cot-versus-air-mattress debate, recommendations of buying a Jackery if you could afford it, fairy lights in your camp, and much more. I can not thank you all enough.
You hear it all the time when you’re there. “The magic of Roo really is the people.” For me, that couldn’t be more true. Starting with the people I went with. I don’t think I could have had a better time with anyone else. The goofy things we did to make one another laugh and have a good time. The inside jokes we came up with that lived and died on the farm. Spending five straight days with people you don't normally see is part of what makes the festival so memorable and occasionally frustrating. However, when you spend 120 hours with anyone, you’re going to have your spats here and there. And honestly, that’s part of the experience, and I gladly take the good with the not-so-bad.
Another layer that makes Bonnaroo special is the countless interactions with complete strangers. Those were almost always whimsical moments in time for each Roovian. From the amazing luck with very generous and hospitable neighbors on all sides and we couldn’t have asked for better ones, Thank You! Looking forward to being high-fived and “Happy Roo” ’d into oblivion under the arch. To the creativity of outfits, totems, personalities, graffiti, puppets, artists, vendors, etc. To randomly seeing friends we had no idea were going to be on the farm. The people of Bonnaroo truly do make the magic.
The music and production of Bonnaroo were something that I constantly had coming out of my mouth as I turned to my friends and said, “This is television-quality production.” Being transported into what I jokingly called “Tron Hell” with Skrillex's opening set—and especially the secret set—are moments I'll never forget. They reignited my love for house music. GRiZ delivered one of the most emotionally charged sets of the weekend, taking the crowd on a journey that swung effortlessly between explosive highs and deeply personal moments. Kesha’s Superjam and all of her guests (GROUPLOVE omgggg) felt like something exclusive and special that only if you were there would you get it for the Purple Rain Experience. Then sunrise sets such as Effins, that started with ‘Here Comes The Sun’ & as you look behind you the sun is rising & you’re reminiscing on the night. Everyone we were able to catch sounded great, and their visuals/production team were absolutely top-notch.
Every festival has at least one moment where time seems to stop. The music fades into the background, you look around, and you're reminded that you're alive—right here, right now. I had several moments like that over the weekend, but one has stayed with me more than all the others. We were standing there watching Griz and RKS on stage together for the first time. Fireworks exploded overhead. The horns swelled. Thousands of people sang together as the lyrics repeated, "You can let it all go." I was reminded of just that. All the stress. The anxiety. The disappointments. The weight you've been carrying without even realizing it. In that moment, it really did feel like I could let all of that shit go. As much as it was a full-circle moment for Griz and RKS, it was for me in my life as well. Several years ago, I went through what I still consider the hardest year of my life. A divorce. Two car accidents. A death in the family. One setback after another. I was completely lost. I could’ve caved and let it all wash over me. I could've let my circumstances define me. For a while, I did. Instead, I kept moving forward. Slowly at first, then with purpose. Eventually, that path led me to a place I'd dreamed about since I was a teenager. Standing there on The Farm, surrounded by my friends, watching two artists come full circle while fireworks lit up the Tennessee sky, I realized I had come full circle too. "You can let it all go." Maybe that's what Bonnaroo gave me, more than anything else, was permission to believe it. As the song reminded us, "Ain't shit free but falling out..." It felt like a fitting reminder that the hardest things in life are usually worth fighting through.
Which I quickly want to touch on the staff. From the gates, stage, campgrounds, and elsewhere. I can say wholeheartedly that the majority of the staff were fantastic. We had our tiffs here and there. Being at a sunrise set, where the staff is tossing water to people in the pit, was awesome to see. Staff members assisting people with where to go, dealing with a power outage, getting information to the public quickly, and everything that comes with running a festival of this size. I do think they did the best job they could have done. Could some things be done better? Sure, but can’t that be said for most things in life? Well done, I say.
One of the other magical experiences of Bonnaroo is the lessons you learn along the way. The lessons you learn about how you prepare yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. Eventually, it becomes obvious what you’re willing to deal with and what you’re not. You realize that maybe you didn’t need to bring 2 bags of wine, a liter of liquor, and 2 cases of beer for just you, and instead you should have brought more sports drinks. You discover a lot about yourself and how you react to situations, good and bad. You learn to let go and make the best of what is thrown at you. Cliché, I know. Sometimes those old sayings hold true and have that good ole staying power.
The food at Bonnaroo was very hit-and-miss. Making our own food for the first couple of days was fun and exciting for the whole camp. (Burgers, Walking Tacos, Quesadillas) Spicy Pie lived up to the hype. Lemonades were great at some places and watered-down sugar water at others. We had some fantastic Asian food; it wasn’t the noodle place. Eating while on the farm for us was few and far between. For the most part, we probably ate half of what we'd normally eat on any given day. Sometimes when we were eating there, it was hard to tell if the food was really that good or if we just hadn’t eaten in a while.
The vendors at Bonnaroo were top-notch. We spent a lot of time weaving in and out of vendor booths, shopping and digging through all of the unique items that they had, and they had A LOT. It’s by far the most time and money I’ve spent in vendor booths at any festival we’ve visited so far. I got everything from clothes, a Rose Poi set, a pin, and much, much more. Honestly, kind of sad I didn’t get a chance to get back over to the Blue Gecko tent to get another pair of their amazing shorts. Next time!
Bonnaroo was amazing, and I loved my experience there, but as with everything in life, there’s always a yin to the yang. Everything I’ve heard and seen is that the cops were extra bad this year. We even got our own camp-adjacent experience with them. A neighbor visited the med tent because they weren’t feeling well. Med Tent staff came to do a wellness check the next day in the morning. Med witnessed a separate neighbor smoking grass in their car and called the police. Police searched the campsite, impounded their car, and took the neighbor to jail. It was a jarring experience to say the least. Other things we experienced were our take-one-leave-one being ransacked on the last night, being ID’d with 21+ wristbands on, among other things, the inescapable smell of fermented mulch.
Getting back home was another small adventure. Packing up after having your last hoorahs the night before. Saying goodbye to your neighbors and friends felt tragic yet necessary. Dodging the lurking cops on the way out so as not to be pulled over when you’re exhausted and just want to get home is, to put it lightly, a little stressful. On top of what was an already exhausting morning, the vehicle I brought dried up all the coolant from the weekend, and we were left stranded on the side of the road, ripe for the picking. Luckily, the house’s driveway we pulled into had a friendly old man pull up. I quickly popped my head out of the vehicle and explained our situation, and in typical Southern hospitality, he said he might be able to save us a trip to the auto store for some coolant. We waited around for a while, and he eventually came back with some coolant, and my vehicle guzzled it all down. We continued our conversation as I filled up, and we were on our way. Thank you to the kind soul who got us home just a little bit faster.
One thing no one really talks about when you finally get back home, get an actual night's rest, and get up the next day is having to hose the mud off most of your gear. It was nice to go through all of the things we had brought and see what needed some love to get back clean or in order. I can not imagine getting back from the festival and not having a day to rest and recoup. For those who went straight to work the next day, we salute you.
My final thoughts on Bonnaroo are that it is everything everyone tells you it is and more. Bonnaroo is a healing ground. Bonnaroo is a teacher with many lessons to teach if you’re willing to pay attention. Bonnaroo is a state of mind. Bonnaroo is what you make it. Bonnaroo will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. Bonnaroo is magical. Bonnaroo is silly, whimsical, and a reflection of yourself as an individual. Bonnaroo is a test of your autonomy, playfulness, and resilience. I like to think that everyone who attended Bonnaroo and was one with the festival passed that test. For those who did, I know that that feeling of accomplishment drives to the core of your being and stays there.
Maybe that's why people always say Bonnaroo changes you.
It didn't make me a different person.
It reminded me of who I already was before life convinced me otherwise.