The last 72 hours for this year’s Bonnaroo has been such a whirlwind of emotions. So much happened in such a short time.

Thursday June 12th

The first day of Bonnaroo kicked off at noon when Centeroo opened, and everyone was buzzing with excitement to be back at the farm. The energy on the festival grounds was electric! The first set of the day was performed by Wilderado on the What Stage. Before they took the stage, I chatted with Donna and Susan from Nashville at the barricade. This was Donna’s 15th Bonnaroo and Susan’s fifth! I asked them about their most memorable acts at Bonnaroo. Donna replied that Florence and the Machine was one of her favorites, while Susan said it was hard for her to choose, but she loves coming to Bonnaroo to discover new music and art. Our conversation came to a perfect pause as Wilderado took the stage. They brought a chill vibe with their urban folk sound, making it an ideal way to kick off the festival.

Up next was Hey, Nothing at This Tent. I had a chance to chat with Brooklyn from Cookeville, Tennessee. This was Brooklyn’s first Bonnaroo! She expressed how surprised she was by the Bonnaroo community, noting how everyone was so welcoming and friendly, always willing to lend a helping hand when needed. She was in awe of the generosity she encountered. I couldn’t agree more with her statement.

Hey, Nothing performed with such enthusiasm and high energy! The crowd loved every second of it. They infused their set with humor and an emo-folk sound that I had never experienced before. I definitely walked away from that performance as a fan of theirs.

I then ran to catch Marcus King at the What Stage. Unfortunately, I made a crucial mistake as a photographer. While I was editing photos from an earlier set, I forgot to put my SD card back in my camera. Despite this setback, I was still able to photograph him using my film camera. I promise to post the results once I get the film developed. Marcus’s voice is incredibly unique, and he puts so much passion into his performance.

I gave myself a bit of a break before catching Thursday’s headliner, the only one who got to perform this weekend: Luke Combs. As I entered the pit, I could feel the energy of the crowd and the growing anticipation for him to take the stage. When the lights went dark, a huge roar erupted from the audience as his intro began.

Luke kicked off his performance with “1, 2 Many,” and right from the start, everyone was singing along with him. During “When It Rains It Pours,” he shotgunned a beer and tossed the empty can into the crowd, which they absolutely loved!

Later in his set, he brought out Miranda Lambert, and together they performed “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” and “Kerosene.”

I had some time to kill before catching the last act of the night, which was 2Hollis at That Tent. To pass the time, I headed over to the Other Stage to catch the final moments of Sammy Virji’s set. Once his performance ended, I made my way back to That Tent just in time to enter the pit. The anticipation was building by the minute, and when 2Hollis finally came out, the crowd went wild! He had everyone head-banging and screaming right from the start. His stage presence was fantastic, and he made good use of the entire stage. Overall, his set was a great way to end my night.

Friday June 13th

The next day, Friday, I expected it to be a typical day at Bonnaroo, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. By 11 o’clock, I was already in the media tent, editing photos from the night before to stay cool in the heat. It wasn’t until 1 o’clock that the rain started. At first, it was just a heavy downpour, but soon enough, thunder and lightning rolled in, and everyone in the media tent and Centeroo was evacuated for safety reasons. We were all sent back to our tents and cars until the storm passed.

I really wish I could say that the storm stopped after an hour or two, but I want to say it rained continuously for at least five hours. During those five hours, we also experienced high winds, which made me a little nervous about my friends’ canopy. Thankfully, it didn’t blow away, and our campsite didn’t flood as badly as others.

By 7:00 PM, the rain had stopped, but the aftermath was very evident, not only in the campgrounds but also in Centeroo. The difficult decision was announced: the rest of Bonnaroo was canceled. The rest of us Bonnaroovians were absolutely devastated by the news, but deep down, we all knew it was the right choice. That night, I decided to pack up my camp alongside my friend and head home with her.

Photo From Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Facebook

Saturday June 14th

The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of emotions. Thankfully, some artists who were already in Nashville decided to hold pop-up shows throughout the city this weekend. I was fortunate enough to attend two of them.

The first pop-up show I went to was on Saturday, where I ventured out to see Jessie Murph. She performed at two locations that night, first at Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville bar and then at the Barstool Nashville Bar, which was just around the corner. I attended the performance at Barstool.

Jessie came out and performed her top hits, “Blue Strips” and “Touch Me Like a Gangster.” The crowd at Barstool was electric; she is such an amazing performer and brought incredible energy. Everyone was enthralled by her performance. Bonnaroo fans came out in full force and took over Broadway and Barstool. She was one of the few artists performing for free, which I thought was incredibly generous of her. Even though it was just a couple of songs, it meant the world to everyone—including me—that she took the time to perform and lift our spirits. She truly succeeded in doing that. I left her performance with a big smile on my face, which was much needed.

Sunday June 15th

On the last night, I attended Natasha Bedingfield’s pop-up performance at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville. She was one of the artists I was most excited to see at Bonnaroo, so when she announced this show, I knew I had to seize the opportunity. Upon arriving at the venue, I chatted with a few fellow Bonnaroo attendees. Everyone was in good spirits and truly grateful to be at the show, happy to experience a bit of Bonnaroo again.

If you’ve never been to a Natasha Bedingfield concert, you are missing out! Natasha has incredible stage presence and instantly connects with the crowd. She performed all her classic hits, including “Love Like This,” “Pocket Full of Sunshine,” “These Words,” and of course, “Unwritten!” The audience sang every word to these songs, and each time the intro started, it elevated the energy of the show. I can definitely say I have a bit of a sore throat, as I was singing along to each of those tracks. By the end of her performance, it’s safe to say that all the Bonnaroo fans in attendance felt uplifted and healed.

I want to take a moment to thank my friend Nikki, who I was camping with at Bonnaroo before it got canceled, for hosting me these past couple of days. I truly appreciate your invitation to stay at your place this weekend! It meant the world to me and was incredibly helpful. Thank you, Nikki!

Overall, I believe it’s fair to say that this weekend wasn’t a total loss. I am very grateful to the artists who organized their pop-up show for Bonnaroo attendees, allowing them to salvage a bit of their weekend. The spirit of Bonnaroo remained present, even if it took on a different form. Nevertheless, it was still there.