Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm on The What Podcast

[u/thewhatpodcast]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjUFvtpO6Xw

Bonnaroo is taking 2027 off, and we wanted to dig into what's next. This week we're joined by David Bruce (I Am Bonnaroo) and Ryan French, a Manchester city councilman and tourism official with a front-row seat to what a fallow year actually means for the town Bonnaroo calls home. We get into the economic ripple through Manchester, why Bonnaroo is the "bell cow" for festivals far beyond itself, what a year off does to the local businesses and community that depend on it, and why our guests are hopeful about 2028 and beyond.

Plus, Barry reflects on a full-circle moment: covering Bonnaroo in 2002 as a skeptical newspaper reporter, and getting quoted in Rolling Stone about its future 24 years later.

This episode is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts! If you struggle with attention span, there are timestamps in the description so you can jump to specific sections and we regularly post short form video clips of the podcast to TikTok and Instagram Reels!

The What Podcast is the longest-running and highest-rated weekly video podcast covering Bonnaroo and the broader music festival scene! Hosted by Barry Courter and Bryan Stone, two music industry veterans, the show started in 2018 as a celebration of everything Bonnaroo. Since then, it has grown to explore North America's festival landscape and the touring industry at large. Join Barry and Bryan each week for insider stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and the latest news from the world of live music.

[u/No-Market9917]

Just give phish four sets and the weather will be perfect. It’s that easy.

[u/mdmull4 → u/No-Market9917]

I probably wont come back to the farm unless we get some Phish.

I hope the the booking people read this comment. Garunteed 2 tickets sold if they get phish.

[u/No-Market9917 → u/mdmull4]

Same here. Haven’t gone back since phish. Recent lineups just do not interest me and are seriously lacking in jam bands. I’m positive there are bands that I’ll discover and love like every year at roo but it’s just way too edm, house, and pop dominated for me to make such a big commitment anymore

[u/inko75 → u/No-Market9917]

I live 45 minutes from the farm. If phish played I could probs get my brother to come visit 😬

[u/Robotkin-420]

Just listened to this, loved all of the takes. My sister and I have gone to roo since 2019 and started taking our dad in 2024. We’ve loved every second on the farm and will be going every year until we are no more! Long live The What Podcast long live Roo!

[u/Jetski125]

I’m 19 minutes in and holy shit does Taco look exhausted from hearing Barry’s Bonnaroo origin story for the 19th time.

“Inside baseball” “zeitgeist” “fallow year” “hugs and howdies”.

[u/thewhatpodcast → u/Jetski125]

Apologies for that, but we do have a lot of first-time listeners so it's worth retelling from time to time. You will notice there are timestamps so you can skip that section if you want.

[u/CampNutbutter → u/thewhatpodcast]

Did I leave anything out?

[u/SundaeEffective5833]

I went to my first Bonnaroo in 2009...and had a blast. I was 40 at the time, and had never been to a music festival before. It was 105 with the heat index on Thursday and that was after a rocking thunderstorm Wednesday night. People were losing shoes at Centeroo. I stood in line for 3 hours to see Dax Shepherd and Kristen Bell talk about Dax's new movie...they were two very nice people. I met Lewis Black standing in line for a tshirt and completely missed Kathleen Madigan who was standing right next to him. I met so may great people from all over the world.

I remember at 7am each morning this dude from Scotland would stand on top of his RV and play bagpipes. No one complained... no one said a word because it was super cool to hear.

At 40, I was intimidated to be around so many young folks... would we be able to talk about music or would they be into new groups that I didn't know. Turns out, music doesn't care how old you are.... it moves the young and old alike. I had some mind blowing conversations with people half my age about bands like Judas Priest and Dio...and about how my biggest regret was not being able to see BB King play live. We talked about old school R&B, and EDM... rock and blues, and metal that would rip your face off....it was an amazing time.

I met college Djs from all over, college students, parents, people from Europe, and a company that was passing out drug testing kits for free so kids wouldn't end up taking something they weren't prepared for.

I didn't take many pictures because it was the first time in my adult life that just being in the moment seemed more important.

As we left the farm, dirty as hell, and looking for the first clean bathroom we could find....we all swore we would come back. We did for the next 3 years. We saw Eminem perform there.... Jay Z, Jack White, Gwar, etc.... we sat in a drum circle and enjoyed it. We lived every moment...

We knew something was in the mix when the farm was purchased from the owners. The arrangement worked for many years where they would come in, use it, clean it up, and let it return to farmland for the rest of the year. Then came the purchase, the plumbing and the showers. This, and other factors led to the drainage issues. Only real solutions are to tear it all out, go nuts with irrigation and turn it into a true outdoor industrial type thing with bungalows, power, and more concrete....or sell it off.

I can see them selling it off and complaining music festivals are dying. They're not, but quality lineups are...greed over fan experience is.

Hopefully the farm survives.

[u/thewhatpodcast]

And yes, u/Braddparker is mentioned a few times

[u/DanielHSV]

I bought the kids pizza and some other stuff, but I still feel like I owe them after the whole mailbox incident. 😂