The idea of attending a live music festival such as Riverbend or the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, was not for everyone even pre-COVID-19. Things like heat, rain, large crowds and lots of walking are not everyone’s cup of kombucha.
But, for some of us, those events have become far more than just a good time. They have become a way of life – markers that go well beyond the calendar and which are talked about and looked forward to year-round.
Like so many other things these days, the coronavirus pandemic is threatening that, and the reasons are many and deeply layered.
Both Riverbend and Bonnaroo, and numerous other festivals around the country, have passed their original dates in May and June. Riverbend has since announced that it is cancelling 2020 altogether, while Bonnaroo is still holding on to its rescheduled Sept. 24-27 dates (or was, as of press time).
Everyone wishes the decision as to whether to hold a festival this year were as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ but I can tell you the conversations between promoters, musicians, stage crew, food and merchandising vendors, governments, lawyers, health care officials and fans has been intense, and the simple reality is nobody knows what the right answers are. It would be great if someone could ring a big bell and we could head out the front door like everything was the way it was seven months ago, but that isn’t going to happen. There are too many uncertainties and unknowns, and more seem to arise daily.