Bonnaroo is a unique festival tucked away in Manchester, Tennessee. For nearly 20 years, the fest has served a thriving community of music fans who are ready to rave the night away with drop-obsessed EDM artists and pop mainstays alike.
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Bonnaroo acts as almost an independent state. The world outside melts away the second you enter “The Farm.” From that point forward there is only you, your fellow Bonnaroovians, and whatever stacked line-up organizers have prepared.
This year’s line-up boasted a wide array of musicians, from folk singers to legendary rappers to DJs. There was a little something for everyone out on The Farm – and we certainly found a few memorable moments throughout the weekend.
Find our top moments from Bonnaroo 2023, below.
1. Jelly Roll joins Three 6 Mafia on Stage
Whenever you attend a concert within a certain mile radius of Nashville, it’s safe to assume the artists on stage will bring out a special guest or two.
Legendary rap group, Three 6 Mafia brought out fellow Tennessean Jelly Roll for their set on Friday night of the Fest (June 16). The rising country star joined the rappers for a rendition of “Hard Out Here For A Pimp.”
Jelly Roll called the group “living legends” before exiting the stage. Who knows, in a few years we might be saying the same thing about the singer himself.
2. Kendrick Lamar Takes on the Main Stage
It’s hard to imagine a better festival headliner than Kendrick Lamar. The rapper has countless hits to name, all of which have no trouble getting a crowd going. That fact was on display while he took on the main stage on Friday night.
The crowd was hyped from start to finish while Lamar rattled off some of his biggest hits – “N95,” “HUMBLE,” “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” and “Alright.”
It’s been well-documented that Lamar has a unique flare to him. From his flow to his stage production, Lamar proved for the umpteenth time why he is one of the biggest rappers in the game.
3. Tyler Childers
Typically, as the night goes on at a festival, the acts become flashier and the songs become more amped up. Tyler Childers is likely not the first person you would pick to help close out a predominately EDM festival but, nevertheless, he had quite the enticed audience on Saturday night (June 17).
Childers stuck to his gospel guns and pushed some heavenly harmonies out over the crowd. He played through the high points of his catalog including the fan-favorite “All Your’n” and “Lady May.”
The latter song was another marked contrast between Childers and his fellow festival performers. While most artists would choose to close out a set with their most amped-up song, Childers opted for a duo of ballads to finish the night off: “Lady May” and “Follow You To Virgie.”
4. Sheryl Crow
You know you’re a legend when decades into your career, an audience (which is made up of a significant amount of people who were babies when you released some of your biggest hits) can still sing every word back to you. By that standard, Sheryl Crow solidified her legend status this weekend at Bonnaroo.
Crow played her set in the middle of the day, making songs like “Soak Up the Sun” and “All I Wanna Do” hit even harder. Crow stepped away from the mic multiple times to let the audience take over vocal duties and they did not disappoint.
On top of her gem-laden catalog being on display, another stand-out from Crow’s set was just how multi-talented she is. From playing guitar solos and bass lines to bringing some soul to the performance via a harmonica, Crow can really do it all.
5. Paramore
Last, but definitely not least, Paramore played their second set ever at Bonnaroo. The alt-rock staples are known for their live performances, and they did not disappoint while playing on the main stage on Sunday night (June 18).
“Hope you have your dancing shoes on,” frontwoman Hayley Williams told the crowd before the band’s set got underway – and they certainly needed them. Paramore’s current tour setlist is wall-to-wall dance jams. Even their older offerings come in the floor-filling persuasion. Their performance at Bonnaroo hit the high points of their career up until now.
Every Paramore performance is infused with a lot of heart, fun, and a sense of community. All three of those attributes were well accounted for during Bonnaroo.
(Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
