Bonnaroo 2020 Canceled

Jorgphoto – Until Next Year
Bonnaroo announced the cancellation of its 2020 event Thursday.

In March, as the coronavirus pandemic threw the live business and festival season into disarray, Bonnaroo moved from its typical mid-June calendar slot to late September. Now, the esteemed Tennessee festival has announced its cancellation for 2020.

“Our annual time together on the Farm is nothing short of magical, but out of an abundance of caution and for the health and safety of all Bonnaroovians, artists, staff, partners and our community, this is a necessary reality,” promoters wrote in a statement shared Thursday. “More information on lineup, camping and accommodations will be available at a later date.”

Ticketholders interested in refunds will be able to claim them from July 1 to July 31, while those interested in attending the festival’s 20th anniversary, scheduled for June 17-20, 2021, will have their tickets rolled over automatically.

Along with its cancellation announcement, Bonnaroo shared plans for a “weekend-long virtual festival” slated for event’s previously planned September 24-27 dates, that will include “some of our favorite moments from past and present, along with some special surprises.”

Bonnaroo’s 2020 event was to be headlined by Miley Cyrus, Bassnectar, Flume, a reformed Oysterhead, Lana Del Rey and Vampire Weekend, with a lineup also featuring The 1975, Run the Jewels, Glass Animals, Young the Giant, Megan Thee Stallion, Tenacious D, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, DaBaby, Leon Bridges, Young Thug, Grace Potter, Flogging Molly, Brittany Howard, Kevin Gates, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and more.

The lineup seemed poised to solidify Bonnaroo’s strong 2019 showing – its first sell-out since 2013 – as several industry sources told Pollstar in January.

But as with so much in 2020, the pandemic had other plans. Tennessee is among the 29 states that have seen increases in the rate of new cases over the last 14 days, according to New York Times data. Bonnaroo is held in Manchester, about an hour southeast of Nashville, which reported 239 new cases and four more deaths on Thursday.

Read Bonnaroo’s statement for more about the festival’s cancellation and refund information.