Bonnaroo has been one of the major North American music festivals for a while now, but in recent years, the Tennessee fest has experienced some hard times. In 2016, the festival sold just 45,537 tickets, which is well below what an event of that magnitude would expect. Since then, though, things have been improving. In 2017, that number rose to about 65,000, and in 2018, the fest reportedly had 76,000 attendees. Now the numbers are literally as good as they could possibly be: Bonnaroo organizers say they expect to sell out all 80,000 tickets for the 2019 fest, which takes place this upcoming weekend.
This would be the festival’s first sell-out since 2013, the year that Paul McCartney headlined. There’s plenty to be excited about this year, too. The most notably and unique act in this year’s lineup is Phish, and aside from that, there’s also Childish Gambino, Post Malone, Solange, and plenty more.
Bonnaroo co-founder Ashley Capps spoke about the event’s rocky past and its bright future, saying that ultimately, she is optimistic and excited: “We’re going into year 18, and as with any enterprise, there’s always a little bit of ebb and flow. It’s inevitable. But it’s certainly great to feel like we’re back on top of our game at this point. It’s exciting. […] There’s been a lot of focus on the 24-7 Bonnaroo experience, and making the festival an unforgettable weekend outside of having a great lineup musically.”
Bonnaroo is one of our favorite summer festivals of 2019, so check out what others made our list here.
