Fans of Bonnaroo (The Travel Addict included) will have to wait another year to return to The Farm. Organizers announced Friday, August 21, that Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will not take place in 2027, calling the decision a “much-needed year off” to allow the festival grounds to recover after consecutive years of severe weather.
For Bonnaroovians who have made the annual pilgrimage to Manchester, Tennessee, the news is disappointing—but organizers say the break is necessary to protect the future of one of the country’s most beloved camping music festivals.
The Farm Needs Time to Recover
The decision comes after two particularly difficult festival seasons. In 2025, torrential rain and flooding forced Bonnaroo to cancel the remainder of the festival after Thursday’s opening day. This year’s festival, held June 11-14, also faced severe weather, with heavy rain on Sunday disrupting programming and forcing some performances to be canceled.
Organizers had already invested heavily in the property ahead of Bonnaroo 2026, including improved drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways and 135 acres of new grass. Those improvements helped strengthen the 700-acre property, but consecutive storms continued to take a toll. In their announcement, organizers said The Farm—particularly the main festival venue—needs time to “rest and recover” after back-to-back years of storms.
A Break, Not Goodbye
The announcement is being framed as a hiatus rather than the end of Bonnaroo. Organizers said they believe taking 2027 off will ultimately make the festival better.
Bonnaroo has been a fixture on the American festival calendar since its debut in 2002, building a reputation around its unique combination of music, camping, comedy, art, food and the sense of community that developed among fans. The festival’s official website describes Bonnaroo as an immersive experience built around music, friendship and its camping culture.
The 2026 festival featured performances from artists including The Strokes, Noah Kahan, Kesha, Skrillex, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Turnstile, giving fans one final weekend on The Farm before the hiatus. We have spent the past 10 years photographing and covering Bonnaroo and meeting the fans that make the Farm so special. Our group texts this weekend have been full of memories and stories over the years, so we know that anyone who has ever spent time in this magical place that “radiates positivity” is hoping the festival will make a triumphant return in 2028.
What Happens Next?
For now, there will be no Bonnaroo in 2027 and no lineup to anticipate next summer. Organizers have not announced specific dates for a 2028 return, but multiple reports indicate that the festival is expected to return in 2028.
The break also comes at a challenging moment for the broader festival industry. Camping festivals have faced changing consumer habits, rising production costs and increasingly unpredictable weather. Bonnaroo’s decision highlights just how difficult it can be to maintain a massive outdoor event when Mother Nature refuses to cooperate.
For longtime Bonnaroovians, however, the hope is that a year away will give The Farm—and the festival itself—the opportunity to come back stronger.
Until then, Manchester will be a little quieter next June. But the spirit of Bonnaroo isn’t going anywhere. As organizers signed off in their message to fans: “Love, The Bonnaroo Team.”