10 Reasons Why Bonnaroo May Be The Coolest Fest Ever

By Ken Weinstein

I’ve been to every Bonnaroo since its founding in 2002. It’s consistently the scene of so many magical once-in-a-lifetime experiences — on stages and off, in campground plazas, late-night dance club floors and art installations. When you hit the What, the Which, the That, the This, or the Other (stages), you will witness some of the most cutting-edge music programming of any mainstream festival today. It’s impossible to encapsulate all the incredible performances in a few words, so here, in no particular order, are merely SOME of my picks for Bonnaroo’s most exciting, spellbinding and out-of-the-box performances. Full disclosure: I do press for Bonnaroo and for many artists who play the fest, so for that reason, I won’t include acts I represent — though My Morning Jacket’s 2004 Thunderdome set, Jack White in 2014 and that time Bruce Springsteen sat in with Phish would be shoe-ins for any ’Roo list!

QUESTLOVE SUPERJAMS
Led Zeppelin | June 15, 2007
D’Angelo  | June 9, 2012
How did John Paul Jones, Questlove and Ben Harper come together to rip into the Zep catalog for an hour? That’s the magic of the SuperJam. Don’t ask, just enjoy the Zoso face melt. And in 2012, Questlove convinced D’Angelo to perform for the first time in 12 years. Covering Hendrix, The Beatles, Ohio Players, Sly and more, it was a love letter to the reclusive singer and got him back on stage. Thank you, Questlove!

GRAND OLE OPRY  | 2018-2019
The Opry broadcasted live from Bonnaroo with acts like Chris Janson, Riders In The Sky and the Foo’s Chris Shiflett. The Opry rarely takes its iconic show outside Nashville, except to venues like NYC’s Carnegie Hall and D.C.’s Kennedy Center, and now The ’Roo! 

THREE SIX MAFIA  | June 16, 2023
Tennessee natives Three Six Mafia’s signature Southern hip-hop was in full force and the crowd felt this monster moment. And they topped it off with Jelly Roll sitting in on “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp.” Tennessee power!

ORNETTE COLEMAN  | June 17, 2007
Yes, the legendary father of free jazz played Bonnaroo. It was extraordinary from the get-go, but then became more so for the wrong reasons: Coleman sadly collapsed from the heat 30 minutes into his incredible set. He was taken to the hospital and thankfully recovered that evening.

OMAR SOULEYMAN  | June 12, 2014
What often makes Bonnaroo Bonnaroo is what happens when you least expect it. Omar Souleyman’s set went from being a fun curio from Syria to one of the rage-iest dance shows ever.

RADIOHEAD  | June 17, 2006
This was when Radiohead was this mythic beacon beaming the mystical undefinable. Thom Yorke emphatically shouted to the throngs, “Now THIS is a festival!” The modern Bonnaroo was born.

THE COMET IS COMING  | June 19, 2019
Speaking of the mythical undefinable, no one was prepared for this middle-of-the-night/early-morning moon landing led by Shabaka Hutchings. It was funky, skronky with textural innovation and freak-out improvisation. You closed your eyes and lifted off, but if you did think about it for a second, you saw that the future of jazz was in good hands.

LORETTA LYNN  | June 11, 2011
She was 76 at the time and it was HOT out. But this coal miner’s daughter was unphased performing in her traditional long dress and stormed through her historic songbook. There were people of all ages in the packed out That. It made you smile; it gave you hope.

SOMETHIN’ ELSE  | The Blue Note Tent | 2007
The joint was jumpin’ when Bonnaroo partnered with legendary Blue Note Records and turned That into a NYC Jazz Club. There were panels, classic photos and, most importantly, some of the best jazz performances ever with Lou Donaldson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, Robert Glasper, Christian McBride, Nels Cline, John Medeski and more.

BON IVER  | June 9, 2018
Bon Iver’s two late-night sets in 2018 left fans agog. The first was a familiar emotional gut punch; the second was where the Bonnaroovian spirit of collaboration shone through with an array of guests including Sylvan Esso, Moses Sumney, Francis Farewell Starlite and Spank Rock. Compounded with a heart-wrenching speech from a Parkland shooting survivor, the set was a simmering, shimmering meld of synths, strings and above all, human voices. s

Ken Weinstein is the co-founder and co-president of Big Hassle Media.