The music world was dealt another devastating blow this weekend as Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival was forced to cancel the remainder of its 2025 edition due to severe weather conditions that flooded the festival grounds in Manchester, Tennessee.
A Weekend Cut Short
A day after it began, Bonnaroo 2025 has been canceled due to extreme weather. The cancellation was announced Friday evening, June 13, after significant and steady precipitation made camping and egress conditions unsafe at the iconic festival site known as “The Farm.”
The decision came after organizers had already suspended performances around 1 p.m. on Friday and evacuated the main venue area, Centeroo, due to deteriorating conditions. The rain has settled in areas and made certain outlying parts the venue difficult to manage, with festival organizers prioritizing the safety of campers, particularly those with accessibility needs.
A Heartbreaking Decision
Festival organizers expressed their devastation at having to make the difficult call. “We have put our hearts and souls into making this weekend the most special one of the year, and cannot express how crushed we are to have to make this decision,” read the official statement.
The 2025 lineup was set to feature major acts including Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier, John Summit and numerous other artists who had been eagerly anticipated by thousands of festival-goers who had traveled from across the country to attend the four-day event. The first night of the event did take place with performers Dom Dolla, among others.
A Troubling Pattern
While the search results confirm that weather-related cancellations have affected Bonnaroo before—The 2021 installment was nixed before it even began after flood waters made the grounds unsafe—the frequency of these weather-related disruptions raises concerns about the festival’s vulnerability to extreme weather events.
The Manchester, Tennessee location, while providing the sprawling rural setting that has become synonymous with the Bonnaroo experience, sits in a region that has proven susceptible to severe weather patterns that can quickly turn the festival grounds into impassable conditions.
Safety First
Despite the disappointment, festival organizers made it clear that attendee safety was their top priority. Those with sufficient protection from the rain were asked to consider staying through Friday night to make it easier to evacuate campers in flooded areas.
The National Weather Service’s updated forecasts played a crucial role in the decision-making process, as “Significant and steady precipitation […] will deteriorate camping and egress conditions” made continuing the festival untenable.
Looking Forward
As Bonnaroo faces another weather-related setback, questions inevitably arise about the festival’s future planning and potential adaptations to address these recurring challenges. The festival, which has been a cornerstone of the summer music festival circuit for over two decades, will need to consider how to better prepare for or mitigate the impact of severe weather events.
Below is information from the event on refunds:
The Bonnaroo spirit, however, has weathered storms before—both literal and metaphorical—and the festival’s dedicated community will undoubtedly look forward to reuniting on The Farm when conditions allow for a safe and successful celebration of music and arts.
