The 2021 edition of Bonnaroo has been cancelled days before the festival was to begin. In a statement, organizers write:
We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we must cancel Bonnaroo. While this weekend’s weather looks outstanding, currently Centeroo is waterlogged in many areas, the ground is incredibly saturated on our tollbooth paths, and the campgrounds are flooded to the point that we are unable to drive in or park vehicles safely.
We have done everything in our power to try to keep the show moving forward, but Mother Nature has dealt us a tremendous amount of rain over the past 24 hours, and we have run out of options to try to make the event happen safely and in a way that lives up to the Bonnaroo experience.
Please find ways to safely gather with your Bonnaroo community and continue to radiate positivity during this disappointing time. WE WILL SEE YOU ON THE FARM IN JUNE 2022!
All tickets purchased through Front Gate Tickets will be refunded in as little as 30 days to the original method of payment.
The organizers' move to cancel comes after rain from Hurricane Ida soaked Tennessee, Bonnaroo grounds in Manchester included. On Sunday, Bonnaroo announced they'd be delaying the opening of campgrounds, set for Tuesday (8/31), until Wednesday (9/1). "Due to the approaching storm we will not be opening the campgrounds on Tuesday," they wrote at the time. "It is our intention to open the campgrounds on Wednesday morning pending an assessment of the grounds. At this time Tuesday pass holders should plan on entering Wednesday. We are so excited to welcome you all to The Farm but your safety is our first priority. Please have patience as we work through our plans and we will update as we know more."
On Monday evening (8/30), the festival issued another update, saying that they would need to reduce camping capacity because of the condition of the grounds. "Due to the expectation of significant rain on The Farm from Hurricane Ida, and the knowledge that areas of our campgrounds will be rendered unusable, Mother Nature has forced us to reduce our camping capacity," organizers wrote in Monday night's statement. They also offered ticketholders the option of a refund, writing, "We are offering a refund window so Bonnaroovians who no longer wish to attend can request full refunds across all ticket and accommodation types. The refund request window is open NOW and will end on Tuesday, August 31st, 2021 at 8 pm CT. All current ticket holders will receive an email from Front Gate Tickets shortly with information on how to request a refund. Refunds will be processed within 7-10 days to the original method of payment. The Bonnaroo Team is working around the clock and, just like you, watching the storm very closely. We will provide additional updates as soon as possible! There are low areas of The Farm that may be severely impacted by the rain. In order to ensure a safe & orderly Bonnaroo, we need to watch the storm overnight and evaluate the grounds tomorrow afternoon. Stay positive!!"
Video and pictures from the grounds, on social media, showed lots of standing water and mud: