A group of travelers from across the United States share a shade tree in the Manchester, Tenn., Walmart parking lot in preparation for the gates to open at Bonnaroo. Bonnaroo is a four-day multistage camping music festival held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn.ABOUT BONNAROOThe festival takes place today through Sunday in Manchester, Tenn., on about 700 acres. It started in 2002 and has been named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the Top 50 moments in rock ‘n’ roll.The name was taken from Dr. John’s 1974 album “Destively Bonnaroo.” It is a Cajun word that means “a really good time.”More than 100 acts will perform over the next four days. Most of the 80,000 attendees will camp on site.2013 BONNAROO HEADLINERSPaul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bjork, Wilco, Pretty Lights, R. Kelly, Wu-Tang Clan, comedian Daniel Tosh, The National, The Lumineers, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Passion Pit, The XX, Nas.TICKETSSome $269 tickets remained at press time Wednesday.
If you could simply hop in a van and be driven each day to and from the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival that begins today in Manchester, Tenn., would you go?
For some, the idea of fighting traffic, camping in a tent and/or spending the entire four days of the event on the farm is enough of a negative to outweigh their desire to see such musical artists as Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers or ZZ Top.
Organizers are constantly looking at new ways to improve the festival, according to Rick Farman, co-founder and promoter with Superfly Presents. One of those innovations is a new program that will allow residents of the Nashville area to be shuttled to the festival every day via van.
“It’s just sort of coming out of some feedback that we got from people in the Nashville area saying, ‘Well we are really curious about Bonnaroo but coming out for four days is a little bit more than we can commit to,'” Farman said in a telephone news conference this month.