June 10-13, 2010: Manchester, TN
Four days of not showering, sleeping in tents in a field and walking miles in the Tennessee sun in June may not be for everyone. But for me and up to 80,000 music lovers, Bonnaroo is a unique experience that makes you eager to come back every year.
Each June, the city of Manchester, Tenn., turns into the sixth-largest city in Tennessee as festival-goers converge on a 700-acre farm for four days of music and entertainment. More than 100 bands play throughout the weekend on a number of stages, and it’s quite a diverse lineup – the Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z are headlining this year. Even Conan O’Brien will be headlining the Comedy Tent this year. See the full lineup, and check out my playlist below for some of my favorites for 2010. Last year, Phish and Bruce Springsteen headlined and each played well into the night.
Bonnaroo can be a bit overwhelming for first-timers, so it’s important to come prepared. I’d recommend reading through the Bonnaroo information site and visiting Inforoo to read through the endless stories and advice from devoted Roo’ers.
The unique stage names (Which Stage, What Stage, This Tent, That Tent, etc.) will keep you guessing where your friends are, and with so much entertainment packed into four days, you won’t be able to do it all. Here are some more tips to enjoy the Bonnaroo experience, whether you’re able to make the journey or not.
- Take action on climate change and download 17 free live tracks from the “Best of Bonnaroo” by visiting http://www.musicforaction.org/.
- Take the Clean Concert Pledge.
- Use social media to stay connected before, during, and after the event. Bonnaroo is on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and MySpace.
Have more tips or memories from Bonnaroo? Share them in the comments.
In order to access the iTunes playlist you must have iTunes installed on your computer.
iTunes logo and code link reprinted and provided with permission from Apple.