With the exception of 2020 and 2021, rural Coffee County has been attracting festivalgoers from all over the nation every year since 2002, truly putting Manchester, Tennessee, on the musical map. In 2022 Bonnaroo saw a smaller crowd of 40,000 but 2023’s crowd was booming with 80,000 people on “The Farm,” with all four-day passes selling out.
The ocean of people all coming together to celebrate good music and positivity filled Centeroo with an electric feeling of togetherness and camaraderie.
Although festivalgoers faced long waits to enter the festival on Thursday due to severe weather, the day still left people buzzing. Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban rockstar Cimafunk got the crowds dancing with his groovy set and later indie pop band THE WLDLFE rocked out on the Who Stage. The comically named Diarrhea Planet, born to be performers, surprised first-timers with their highly energetic and crowd-interactive set.
Friday saw MUNA and Rina Sawayama take the stage. Alaskan band Portugal. The Man opened its set with a speech from a native Alaskan woman advocating for our Earth. Three 6 Mafia brought out two surprise guests—Jelly Roll and Young Buck—during its iconic set. Griz’s set was something for the eyes; gorgeous light displays and lasers got the crowd pumped and ready to celebrate headliner Kendrick Lamar’s birthday on the What Stage.
Hotter temperatures came in for Saturday but that didn’t seem to slow anybody down. Andrew McMahon surprised the crowd by beginning his first song in the audience. Sheryl Crow roller-skated through Centeroo with an accordion. Lil Nas X put on a killer theatrical performance; many were saying that was their favorite show of the whole weekend. He was accompanied by a giant snake, along with many other “animals” and some extremely talented dancers. ODESZA went down with a bang, literally, with their set full of fireworks, pyro, drummers and confetti. Saturday’s night crowd had to make a hard choice between metal legend Korn or modern-rock veteran My Morning Jacket.
Photos by Ashleigh Newnes
Sunday afternoon, Scottish band Franz Ferdinand took everyone back to the early 2000s with its performance of crowd favorite “Take Me Out,” while over at the That Tent Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors had the girls on the front row crying during the song “Tennessee.”
Fresh off Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Norwegian indie pop singer Girl in Red became a crowd favorite for her energetic performance on the Which Stage, complete with crowd surfing.
Franklin natives Paramore put on a performance that was as awesome as expected and the band seemed humbled by how many people were in their “back yard” to see them play. Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams graced the stage with painted rainbow tears and a shirt that read “Gays, Yes; Contras, No.” Over at the That Tent The Pixies took the crowd back to the ’80s and Marcus Mumford sang Mumford & Son’s favorites like “The Cave” solo.
Foo Fighters, the last act of this year’s Bonnaroo, rounded out the festival by playing an incredible set to 80,000 people, with special guest Hayley Williams helping out on “My Hero.” As their set ended, lightning filled the sky. A perfect way to end an electrifying weekend.
Bonnaroo is known for its all-star musical lineups, but most people who have never attended may not know that all sorts of other activities generally happen at Bonnaroo, and 2023 was no exception. There were weddings, a pride parade, a 5k run, a silent auction, parties in the woods, silent discos and yoga. Most everyone buys their first ticket for the music, but then they return for the Bonnaroo experience. Bring on 2024!
