Written by Mitchell Aaron Gross
With festivals seemingly popping up everywhere this season, we take a moment to revisit what Bonnaroo has done to distinguish itself from the rest.
1: The variety of acts outside of music.
If you’re a fan of Knocked Up, Superbad, or Anchorman you’re probably going to enjoy the comedy of Judd Apatow who will be performing standup for one of the first times since his 20 year hiatus from the stage. That’s to go along with a lineup that has everything from The Floozies to Dead and Company with a sprinkling of Death Cab for Cutie and the Chainsmokers.
2: This is a lineup your mom and dad would enjoy.
With the overwhelming assortment of artists, you can drop mom and dad off to listen to some bluegrass while you see Adventure Club. Then you can all meet for Dead and Company at the end of the night. While many events cater to a more specific market lineups like this explain Bonnaroo’s 90,000+ attendance in recent years.
3: This might be the closest thing left to the spirit of Woodstock.
This, of course, is complete with muddy performances and camping with a large group of friends. Even though Bonnaroo is nearly 4 times the size of Woodstock ’69 it hasn’t lost it’s touch and is still a destination for music lovers all over the East Coast. Just like Woodstock, you’ll be camping. Come prepared and go over our festival necessities article over here.
4: The experience of traveling to a destination festival without needing a passport.
Ever been to Manchester, Tennessee? Me neither. Bonnaroo is a great excuse for the classic All -American road trip and with gas prices staying at an all time low, a trip like this could be cheaper than imagined. Combine that with some resourceful planning and carefully choosing a route that will take you by campgrounds and you can have a long trip for not a lot of money.
5: There’s a craft beer festival inside of it.
No really there are over 25 different craft brewers at the Brooer’s Festival. Along with simply consuming your favorite beverages you can attend classes and discussion boards with keynote speakers from different breweries speaking on the subject of craft brewing. Enjoy brews from the likes of Lagunitas, Bells Brewery, and Greenflash while attending classes at BrooU. That’s some education you can bet I won’t be tardy for!