Campsites prone to flooding won’t be used, and “adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways” is also planned ahead of next year’s fest
After this year’s Bonnaroo was canceled due to heavy rains that flooded the site, organizers warned they were “not announcing future dates,” potentially throwing next year’s festival in doubt. However, Bonnaroo will return to Manchester, Tennessee in June 2026, albeit with some changes.
“We’ve been taking your feedback to heart over the past few weeks as we plan improvements and talk about what’s next for the festival,” organizers said in a statement Thursday. “And now, it’s time to share those plans with you.”
Among the changes to ensure that next year’s Bonnaroo — scheduled for June 11-14, 2026 — goes off without a cancellation include removing the campsite areas most prone to flooding, which in turn “will result in a reduced capacity on The Farm (more dancing space),” organizers said. To reduce the throng of festival goers that are often stuck on long lines upon arriving, camping entry will also now begin on Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday.
Bonnaroo was similarly canceled in 2021 as weather-related issues arising from Hurricane Ida forced organizers to consult “with drainage and land management experts to improve conditions on The Farm in the event of heavy, sustained rain.” While work started on that multi-million dollar project, it had not been completed ahead of this year’s rain-soaked fest.
“In the 2025/2026 off-season we’ll be dedicating an additional multi-million-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritize the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025,” organizers promised. “Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways.”
While organizers debated changing the start of the festival to avoid the season’s extreme weather, after consulting weather experts, they ultimately decided “our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo.”
When Bonnaroo returns in 2026, the fest will “kick things off Thursday evening on the What Stage with an epic welcome party” to celebrate its return to the Farm.
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