Bonnaroo (Tennessee) Festival Tourism Statistics

Bonnaroo (Tennessee) Festival Tourism at a Glance

• Where: Manchester, Tennessee, on a 700-acre farm that becomes a temporary city each June¹.
• When: Every June since 2002².
• Attendance: 70,000 attendees in 2024³; more than 45,000 people were expected in 2026¹.
• 2027: Organizers have announced a year off².
• Standing: One of the most popular live music events in the United States¹.
• Impact: A major economic engine for rural Tennessee and a cultural touchstone for its dedicated community.

Bonnaroo's latest reported attendance is 70,000 attendees in 2024³; for 2026, more than 45,000 people were expected to attend¹, a pre-festival estimate rather than a final count.

• Bonnaroo's first festival in 2002 sold 70,000 tickets in 19 days, and before 2016 it had never sold fewer than 65,000 tickets.⁴
• From 2015 to 2018, attendance fell from almost 73,000 in 2015⁵ to a low of 45,537 tickets sold in 2016⁶, then rebounded to more than 65,000 fans per day in 2017⁵; the 2018 crowd appeared about the same size, though no official figure was released⁴.
• The pre-pandemic cycle peaked in 2019, when Bonnaroo sold out with 80,000 attendees, its first sellout since 2013⁴.
• The pandemic period broke the annual increase: 2020 was canceled because of COVID-19, and 2021 was canceled after Hurricane Ida-related flooding affected the site.²
• Post-pandemic, the festival returned with an estimated 40,000 attendees in 2022⁷, reached 85,000 music fans in 2023⁸, and drew 70,000 attendees in 2024.³
• The 2025 festival opened, but was canceled after one full day because of severe weather⁹, so it is not comparable with full four-day attendance years.
• The 2026 festival ran from June 11 to June 14, though a storm on the final day forced an evacuation², with more than 45,000 people expected to attend.¹

Note: Attendance sources use different definitions, including expected attendees, tickets sold, fans per day, and reported attendees.

The latest reported economic impact study found $339.8 million in regional economic impact from the 2023 festival¹⁰.

• A 2013 report said Bonnaroo generated more than $51 million for Middle Tennessee and the state, including about $36 million from direct visitor spending¹¹.
• A later Tennessee Aviation System Plan case study cited Bonnaroo’s impact at $52 million statewide and $26 million in Coffee County¹².
• The latest reported 2023 economic impact study put the regional impact at $339.8 million¹³.
• The 2023 study also reported $5.1 million in tax revenue, 4,163 full-time jobs¹³, and $105.5 million in labor income¹⁰.
• The $339.8 million figure comes from a study by the festival's organizers¹³, while a report cited in 2019 put Bonnaroo's regional impact at about $56 million⁴, so the two estimates are not directly comparable.

Note: Economic impact includes broader regional effects, while direct visitor spending reflects money spent more directly by festival visitors.

For 2026, official Bonnaroo 4-day General Admission tickets started at $435 with no hidden fees¹⁵.

• General Admission tickets were listed at $249.50 to $284.50 in 2014¹⁶.
• Price levels were listed at $324.50 and $349.50 before applicable fees in 2016¹⁷.
• In 2023, published ticket coverage listed $175 for a one-day General Admission ticket and $360 for a four-day General Admission pass¹⁸.
• Published ticket coverage listed $355 for General Admission, $695 for GA+, and $900 for VIP in 2024¹⁹.
• In 2026, the official ticket page listed $174 for one-day General Admission¹⁵, $264 for two-day General Admission, $435 for four-day General Admission, $695 for four-day GA+, $999 for four-day VIP, and $3,995 for four-day Platinum.

The most recent Bonnaroo ran from June 11 to June 14, 2026, and organizers have announced the festival will take a year off in 2027.²

• Bonnaroo returned to the Farm from June 11 to June 14, 2026.¹
• Campgrounds opened on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 for guests with Wednesday entry passes²⁰.
• Centeroo opened on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 1 p.m. and was scheduled to stay open non-stop until around 10 p.m.²¹ on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
• The 2024 festival ran from June 13 through June 16, 2024²².
• The 2025 edition was scheduled for June 12–15, but the remainder of the event was canceled after one full day because of severe weather.⁹
• Organizers have said Bonnaroo will take a year off in 2027 so The Farm can recover from back-to-back years of storms.²

Bonnaroo’s main draw is its 4-day camping-festival experience, where music, camping, and community programming are all part of the same event.

• The festival is built around a multi-day music experience, with the 4-day General Admission ticket giving access to Centeroo for all 4 festival days¹⁵.
• Camping is a major part of the Bonnaroo visit: a historical Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) visitor survey found that 89.23% of surveyed attendees camped on the festival grounds in tents or RVs¹⁴.
• The same survey showed that 91.8% of respondents traveled to the festival in their own vehicle¹⁴, reflecting the road-trip nature of the event.
• Bonnaroo’s official programming also extends beyond concerts, with wellness, community, and activity areas such as Soberoo, Planet Roo, Yoga-Roo, Roo Run, The Fountain, and Campground Plazas²⁴.

The most detailed demographic profile located is the 2005 MTSU survey, where 84% of surveyed attendees were ages 18–29¹⁴.

• The 2005 survey showed 55.80% male respondents and 44.01% female respondents.¹⁴
• The same survey found 84% of attendees were ages 18–29, 13% were ages 30–44, and 3% were ages 45–64¹⁴.
• The group-travel profile was also social: 51.84% of respondents arrived in groups of 2 to 4, while 22.10% arrived in groups of 5 to 7.¹⁴
• A later aviation case study reported that nearly 1 in 4 attendees earned more than $75,000 annually¹².

No. Organizers announced in August 2026 that Bonnaroo will take a year off in 2027² after its June 11–14, 2026 festival¹, which followed the weather-shortened 2025 edition.

• The 2025 event was cut short by severe weather⁹, limiting its usefulness as a full-year attendance comparison.
• The 2026 event ran for 4 days on the Farm, with 4-day General Admission tickets starting at $435¹⁵.
• Organizers said The Farm needs a break after back-to-back years of storms, despite new drainage, 4.5 miles of new roadways and 135 acres of new grass added before the 2026 festival.²
• Before the announcement, organizers surveyed fans on whether they would attend a Bonnaroo held a few weeks later in the summer or in late September or early October.²