When rising star Chappell Roan sang “It’s like a hundred ninety-nine degrees” during her song “HOT TO GO!,” the packed crowd was definitely feeling the statement after the recent nearly-100-degree heat waves. While spending a week in the blistering heat on a farm in the middle of Tennessee isn’t many people’s idea of a good time, we — Bonnaroo attendees — wouldn’t want to do anything else. While the festival doesn’t officially start until Thursday morning, many people, including my friend group, elected to arrive and set up camp on Tuesday morning, allowing us to get closer to the main entrances and avoid a 30-minute walk to Centeroo. So, from Tuesday morning to Sunday night, my boyfriend, six of our friends, and I camped out, met new people, and listened to amazing music. While Roo might not be for everyone, I can say we had the time of our lives.
Bonnaroo is held in the small town of Manchester, Tennessee. With a population of only 14,000 people, it grows to nearly five times that during one week in the middle of June. The festival itself is held on a 700-acre farm. The rest of the year, the farm is open — empty fields with a few remaining Bonnaroo structures. But during the week of Roo, it transforms into a large community space. The farm is split into two sections: Centeroo and Outeroo. Centeroo, marked by the large Bonnaroo arch entrance, is where performances are held, containing several large stages and smaller tents as well as a wide variety of vendors and food options. Outeroo, which takes up the rest of the farm, contains all of the campgrounds, some food and merch vendors, The Grove, and Where In The Woods, where EDM music is often played all night. Between Centeroo and Outeroo, there is plenty to explore, especially for newcomers. When I attended last year, I always had something fun to do or some event to attend. Being bored at Bonnaroo is just not possible.
For those that are familiar with Bonnaroo, many people immediately think of the music — after all, it is a music festival. “What will the lineup be?” “Will I like the headliners?” After seeing artists like Chappell Roan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ethel Cain, Renee Rapp, Megan Thee Stallion, and many other talented musicians, I can say the music this year didn’t disappoint. Of course, everyone walks away with a favorite performance, and I have to say Chappell Roan was the standout performer. When she was originally put on the lineup, she was scheduled for a smaller stage. After much pushback from fans, Bonnaroo moved her to Which Stage, the second largest stage of the festival — undoubtedly the right decision. Thousands of people crowded together to sing her songs and, of course, do the “HOT TO GO!” dance despite the fact that we were melting under the sun’s intense heat. As I watched her performance, I lacked the words to express just how amazing it was. I can only say that she is a generational talent, and I believe that her career won’t slow down any time soon. While her album title suggests a rise and fall of a Midwest Princess, it seems all she can do is rise if her Bonnaroo performance is any indication of her future trajectory.
Mackenzie Hollingsworth / The Daily Princetonian
Outside of the music, a great aspect of Bonnaroo is the community. While my friends and I set up our camp, we had one neighbor come over and hand out small gift bags. Another pair of neighbors would visit our camp and just sit and chat. We always had someone to talk to, even if they were all total strangers. We were all just trying to have a good time, and it really showed in the spontaneous interactions with others.
Now, on to my absolute favorite part of Bonnaroo: the Dirty Circus. Put on by the House of YES, the Dirty Circus consisted of many drag and drag-adjacent performances, lasting a bit over an hour. The first performance was a rendition of “Heads Will Roll,” with the performer dressed as the Queen of Hearts and backup performers dressed as card soldiers. It ended with the performer using a whip to hit a rose stem from a person’s mouth. Once I watched this, I knew the Dirty Circus would be my favorite event at Bonnaroo. As the performances continued, I found myself amazed at the true camp quality of the Dirty Circus. From one performer dressing as a demented clown and clipping clothes pins all over her body to a clown trio performing short tv bits, the energy of the Dirty Circus was something I’ve never experienced. While I spent a great portion having a lot of fun just watching these performers, I was constantly struck by the confidence they have. Some performers brought attention to the irony of drag performers being so open at Bonnaroo in a state which recently passed anti-drag legislation. I found it touching that members of the community could come together and have a good time, uplifting one another and laughing together.
The food this year surprised me too. Last year, my first year attending, I survived mostly off of the overpriced festival food. What was I thinking, spending $13 on a corndog? This year, my boyfriend and I decided to bring our own food so we wouldn’t spend a fortune on food at Bonnaroo. What I didn’t expect, however, was the development of a new food obsession: Spicy Pie. It’s a very simple dish — a slice of pizza with jalapenos, pepperoni, and chili flakes — though I would always add an extra small mountain of chili flakes. For some reason, despite the fact that I hated it when I tried it last year, it was my new favorite Bonnaroo food. I probably spent over $100 on Spicy Pie alone, but I maintain that it was worth it!
From seeing amazing performances, developing a new food obsession, meeting new people, and just having an all-around good time, I can safely say that Bonnaroo, despite the heat, dust, and crowd, is an absolute blast full of the best people you could meet. Now, I’m off to buy my ticket for next year. See you at the farm in 2025!
Mackenzie Hollingsworth is an assistant editor for The Prospect. She is a member of the Class of 2026 and can be reached at mh5273[at]princeton.edu.
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