Festival Frenzy 2025: The Bonnaroo Rundown

The electric circus that is the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival returns once again to The Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, Tenn., June 12-15, with dozens of performances in a kaleidoscopic array of styles across a landscape of stages that’s also widely varied. Whether you’re going for the first time or are a seasoned Bonnaroovian, we’ve got a brief rundown of our favorite sets to help you make the most of your weekend.

The lay of the land will look a little different this year. Who Stage grew significantly during the post-lockdown years, but now it’s moving to Outeroo and will take over Plaza 7, among the plazas that dot the GA campground. There will be plenty of notable talent there, Nashville-based — like Joelton Mayfield (playing 2:30 p.m. Friday), Elke (3:45 p.m. Saturday) and VEAUX (6:15 p.m. Sunday) — and otherwise, such as NYC’s Lip Critic (6:15 p.m. Friday).

In the general area of Centeroo formerly occupied by Who Stage will be the new Infinity Stage, featuring the maiden voyage of a special spatial audio rig from U.K. production company Polygon. Rather than the circular stage in the middle of the audience you might think of when you hear the phrase “360 stage,” this setup uses specially designed domes festooned with speakers and lights to surround the crowd in sound.

That will lend itself well to electronic producer and DJ sets, of which there will be a large number at Bonnaroo this year across several stages. Per tradition, The Other is dedicated to electronic acts like Green Velvet (7:45 p.m. Thursday) and Tape B (10:15 p.m. Friday). Some of those happening at Infinity include Rebecca Black (yes, the 2010s viral sensation who’s now a DJ, playing 10 p.m. Thursday), John Summit (who’ll warm up the main What Stage crowd for headliner and rap hero Tyler, the Creator, on Friday before taking over Infinity at 1:45 a.m.) and such delightfully monikered producers as Mary Droppinz and Saxsquatch (playing 4:45 p.m. and 11 p.m., respectively, on Saturday). But other kinds of performers will put Infinity through its paces too, including Nashville-residing rock band Post Sex Nachos and Pakistani American composer and songsmith Arooj Aftab (playing 3:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively, on Sunday).

Swapping the geographical approach for a chronological one: The Austin, Texas, rock explosion called Die Spitz kicks down the doors Thursday with their 3 p.m. set at This Tent. Country star Luke Combs is your headliner (9 p.m., What Stage). Further highlights include ’70s-schooled pop maestros The Lemon Twigs (6 p.m., This Tent), Music City guitar wiz Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country (10:45 p.m., This Tent) and Aussie producer Dom Dolla (11 p.m., The Other). On the late side, pop the top on that Faygo and give a hearty “whoop-whoop” to the pride of Detroit, Insane Clown Posse (12:30 a.m., This Tent).

While you get the ol’ wigdome ready on Friday for the aforementioned Tyler, the Creator (11 p.m., What Stage), there’s plenty else to see. Ginger Root, stellar purveyors of self-styled “aggressive elevator soul,” warm up That Tent at 1:30 p.m.; stick around for soulful R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas at 2:45 and Philly rock aces Mannequin Pussy at 4:15. Celebrated songsmith and rocker MJ Lenderman gets cooking in This Tent at 5:15 p.m. before Aussie psych champions King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard take over at 7 for the first of three shows in their inaugural Roo Residency. (Read more about King Gizz in our interview, and if you miss this set, try again at 12:15 a.m. Saturday night at This Tent and/or 6:15 p.m. Sunday at the second-largest Which Stage.) Alabama country-rockers The Red Clay Strays are on Which Stage at 7:30 p.m., Nashville rock-and-pop polymaths Rainbow Kitten Surprise hit That Tent at 9:30, and inventive NYC MC JPEGMAFIA runs This Tent at 12:30 a.m. If you’ve seen local shows in the past decade from Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, complete your set of the Big Four thrash bands with Megadeth (12:45 a.m., That Tent).

Guts-y pop-and-rock star Olivia Rodrigo’s headlining set (10:30 p.m., What Stage) may be the main event on Saturday, but as ever, you’re spoiled for choice all day. If you’re feeling a little bit country, don’t miss Flatland Cavalry (3:45 p.m., Which Stage), but you can still catch them and camp out for a spot near What Stage for Rodrigo with alt-pop ace beabadoobee (6:15 p.m.) and Aughts pop-punk champ Avril Lavigne (8:15 p.m.) If you prefer to roam, there’s plenty to see elsewhere. Tyla brings her infectious blend of R&B and amapiano to That Tent at 7:30 p.m., teeing up rockers Modest Mouse at 9:15. 

Meanwhile, multifaceted pop heroine Remi Wolf hosts her Insanely Fire 1970s Pool Party Superjam at This Tent at 8:45 p.m. (By the way, she’s also got a well-deserved slot on What Stage at 5:15 p.m. Sunday.) And venerable rap star Nelly gets it hot in therre (“therre” being Which Stage) at 9:30. The most disappointing thing across the whole festival is the fact that Arcade Fire Presents “Santa Pirata” got booked for a 1 a.m. set at That Tent. The 2022 allegations of sexual misconduct against frontman Win Butler seem to have been broadly forgotten — or ignored — as the band gears up for an album cycle.

Sunday is the ’Roo homestretch, and widely loved singer-songwriter Hozier’s headlining set caps it off (9:30 p.m., What Stage). However, you have an alternative for closing out your ’Roo, should you prefer, with “godfather of chillwave” Washed Out (9:45 p.m., Infinity). Whatever your vibe, Nashville’s own rock ’n’ soul guitar ace Grace Bowers’ set (1:30 p.m., That Tent) offers a great way to ease into the day. Quite a few of Sunday’s top sets have been mentioned already, but not to be missed is Memphis rap queen GloRilla (7:45 p.m., That Tent), whose self-empowered bars offer a perfect way to wind down your last few hours as a Bonnaroovian for the year. If, however, you want to keep rocking but go erudite — call it “Sperry Top-Siders-style,” perhaps — get to What Stage by 7:15 p.m. for Vampire Weekend. If what one might call “Chuck Taylors-type rock” is more of what you’re after, Queens of the Stone Age shut down Which Stage with their 8:15 p.m. set.

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Festival Frenzy 2025

The who, what, where, when and why of CMA Fest and Bonnaroo 2025