Bonnaroo is officially coming back in 2026, but not without some major changes. From losing Tuesday arrival and Thursday programming to scaled-back campgrounds and the end of "Where in the Woods" as we know it, Barry, Bryan, and Lord Taco break down the official announcement and what it really means.
Is this a "shrinkflation Bonnaroo" or are things just returning back to the way they were? Plus with some other things in the news recently, we get into a deep discussion about how infrastructure, weather, and politics are all shaping the future of The Farm. Finally, Barry shares the one thing that scares him about Bonnaroo's future more than anything else.
Listen to this episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
Thumbnail photo by: Evan Brown
______
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:19) History of The What Podcast
(00:11:32) Glastonbury video
(00:14:31) Bonnaroo's announcement
(00:42:48) Land disputes in Manchester
(00:51:17) Coldplay kiss cam incident
(00:54:33) Tomorrowland stage burns down
(00:56:34) The risk of outdoor events
(01:00:04) Shaky Knees schedule
(01:04:24) Bus trip
(01:06:01) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
The Logistics of Music Festivals
The Bonnaroo 2025 Bandana Debate: What Fans Are Saying
How Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roo
Surviving Woodstock '99: Two Attendees Look Back 25 Years Later
High Country Bus Festival 2023 - VW Camping on the River
______
š§ LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic
š± SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast
X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thewhat.co
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thewhatpodcast
The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.
We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you wonāt hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, youāve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.