The 13th annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which happens to fall during a full moon on a Friday the 13th, kicks off on Thursday, June 12th and runs through Sunday, June 15th in Manchester, Tennessee.
Elton John, Kanye West, Jack White, Lionel Richie, and Vampire Weekend are headlining a massive bill that includes a number of festival first-timers and lesser-known acts as well as a handful of veterans that have become festival favorites.
Psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips, rapper Wiz Khalifa, and EDM DJ Skrillex are making comeback appearances. In fact, Skrillex will lead one of Bonnaroo’s legendary Superjams along with Big Gigantic, Damien Marley, DJ Zedd, Janelle Monae, Chance the Rapper, and Robbie Kreiger of the The Doors.
Other acts include indie-pop duo MS MR, late-’90s indie rockers Neutral Milk Hotel, South African rap-rave duo Die Antwoord, rapper Frank Ocean, Australian rockers Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and English garage rockers Arctic Monkeys.
Two well-known Memphis acts will be making an appearance. Soulstress Valerie June is playing an early set at the modest This Tent on Saturday, and Lucero will be the opening act on the larger Which Stage on Sunday.
There’s so much more to Bonnaroo than music though. Craig Robinson (The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine) is headlining in the comedy tent. There’s a Friday the 13th costume party in Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Barn (a club in the main Centeroo area that celebrates the holidays in June with lights, reindeer, and a creepy Santa). And Friday the 13th will be screening in the Cinema Tent, where cult classics are shown throughout the weekend.
There’s a Roo Run 5K for those who can actually wake up and run at 9 a.m. on a Bonnaroo Saturday, and a number of Yogaroo and meditation classes will be offered near the Solar Stage.
As for food, Bonnaroo is rolling out more dining options this year with Hamageddon, which we would assume is serving ham, and Baconland, where diners can sample “bacon flights with quality selections from around the country.” The Food Truck Oasis, a food truck court with offerings from across the country, will be back this year, and craft beer lovers can sample brew from all over at the Broo’ers beer tent.