Why Did Bonnaroo Get Canceled in 2027?

There will be no Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in 2027. Here's the reason why.

The festival says it's on a break after miserable weather the last two years, but that's just part of the full story.

Bonnaroo is an annual music and arts festival in Manchester, Tenn.
It started in 2002 and audiences grew to 100,000 for the weekend before declining in recent years.
2027 will actually be the second time in three years there was no Bonnaroo.

Headliners and supporting artists were not yet announced for the 2027 festival. Last June, the three-day fest was headlined by the Strokes, Rüfüs Du Sol and Noah Kahan.

What Is Bonnaroo Canceled?

The official Bonnaroo website blames weather, and in fairness the festival's June weekend has been crushed by storms for two straight years.

After 2025 was canceled (more on that later), they spent a lot of money to improve the campgrounds leading up to the 2026 festival.

"That included improved drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways and 135 acres of new grass, all which strengthened The Farm’s resiliency to Mother Nature," the cancellation note reads.

"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."

There's a lot of ways to interpret this "rest," but it's clear more time is needed for further improvements or to make a plan to weather these storms (and the negative press) a bit more effectively.

Bonnaroo Attendance - Was This the Real Problem?

There's no denying that Bonnaroo has been drawing smaller crowds since a peak in 2012. There was an uptick in 2019 when Phish and Post Malone headlined. That year, the fest sold out for the first time in six years, with 80,000 people attending (per the Tennessean).

The COVID pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 festivals. The audience was down to an all-time low of 40,000 in 2022, but bounced back with 85,000 in 2023.

In 2025, they canceled shortly after they started when heavy rains, flooding and the prospect of more bad weather made continuing impossible.

This uncertainty may have led to just 45,000 people in 2026. It's understandable if organizers need more time to figure out how to not become known as the festival that gets rained out a lot.

Country Music's Most Important Modern Artists: 25 Singers Who Are Truly Making a Difference

Country music's top artists are modern hitmakers and influencers. Most of the singers found below are actively putting hits to country radio or streaming services but a few are included because their recent legacy is just so strong.