Founded in 2002, the Bonnaroo Music and Art Festival offered fans of all genres of music a full weekend of performances. Welcoming over 70,000 people a year, the festival highlighted acts from genres like classic rock, hip-hop, jazz, bluegrass, folk, country, and even reggae. Rolling Stone labeled the event that takes place in Manchester, Tennessee one of the 50 Moments That Changed Rock & Roll. But sadly, the festival was abruptly canceled this year due to intense weather. And while the festival originally offered a 75% refund, organizers have since pushed it to 100%.
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Given that Bonnaroo took place on a 700-acre farm, fans quickly found themselves in a giant mud pit as rain covered the area. While some sought to ride out the storm, the weather continued to get worse, eventually causing organizers to cancel the festival. Although not the first festival to cancel over the weather, Bonnaroo hoped to make it right by offering a 75% refund for those who purchased a ticket.
Bonnaroo Only Offering 100% Refund Through Front Gate Tickets
After receiving a great deal of pushback from fans, Bonnaroo decided to offer them a full refund, stating, “Everyone who works on this show loves Bonnaroo deeply. Some of us have been here since the early years, some were fans first, and some are new but fell in love with it as soon as they felt your energy and spirit on The Farm. We look forward to this show all year. It’s what reenergizes us and restores our faith in community every single summer.”
The statement from Bonnaroo added, “Our main goal is to give you the most memorable weekend of your lives every year. This cancellation broke our hearts beyond measure, but we knew it had to happen for your safety. Thank you for your patience and perseverance through this difficult situation.”
While making it right, there was a stipulation. The fans who purchased a ticket using Front Gate Tickets would be the only ones able to get a full refund. The organizers opened their statement, insisting, “We want you to know that we’re still listening and actively discussing plans to improve The Farm that we love so much.”
For now, not much information released about the 2026 festival. While Bonnaroo usually offered details at the end of the festival, the organizers only stated, “When plans for the future take shape, you all will be the first to know.”
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