The 2026 Bonnaroo weekend was the genuine redemption everyone needed to heal from last year’s cancellation. The spirit of Bonnaroo was at an all-time high. The weekend was full of surprises and some rain, but nothing that dampened the Bonnaroovians’ spirits.

What a weekend it was to be on the farm this year. The moment you stepped into Centeroo, you could feel everyone’s anticipation. Even with the new changes to the farm, such as the festival format and layout, heavy showers before the festival began had made the grounds softer and muddier than usual, but that didn’t stop the energy. We’ll come back to the mud later on in the weekend.

Thursday and Friday were filled with sunshine and high energy. Thursday kicked off the festival with four acts: Spiritual Cramp, Vince Staples, Four Tet, and Skrillex, closing out the night — each act built on the others. One of my favorite things that Bonnaroo does so well is their ability to offer a little bit of something for everyone on the farm. Thursday’s lineup is an excellent example of the different kinds of music the festival has to offer, and each day’s lineup also proves this. Throughout the festival, not only did Bonnaroovians find their Roodemption on the farm, but the artists did as well.

On Friday, toward the end of GRiZ’s set, he brought out Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead singer Ela Melo and performed “It’s Called: Freefalling.” Back in 2023, Rainbow Kitten Surprise unfortunately had to back out of their slot. GRiZ filled their spot at the last minute back then, and during his set, he played that same song in their honor. This was such a beautiful moment that these two artists got to share the stage. When Ela took the stage, the crowd went absolutely insane. Also, on Friday night, Jessie Murph got her roodemption and performed her first Roo. She was set to perform last year, but due to the cancellation, she was unable to. What a debut performance she put on. She had the crowd sing every word alongside her. Other artists who had phenomenal sets on opening day were Lambrini Girls, Zack Fox, Amble, Blood Orange, BBNO$, and Turnstile.

Saturday arrived, bringing a few rain showers, but nothing that dampened the festivities on the farm. The big highlight and festival favorite from Saturday night was Kesha’s Superjam Esoterica: The Alchemy of Pop. Before we get to the super jam, there were amazing sets leading up to it, such as Arcy Drive, Holly Humberstone, The Runarounds, Passion Pit, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. All these artists delivered tremendous performances.

My personal highlight was definitely The Runarounds. This band started out as a TV show-created band and had a phenomenal first season, but unfortunately, they were not renewed for a second season. Luckily, the band stayed together and delivered an incredible debut performance. They also brought out former band member Jeremy, who left the band to pursue other aspirations outside of music, and the band shared the stage with him one last time. Watching The Runarounds, you could really feel all the love they have for what they do, not just for their fans.

You can’t talk about Saturday’s highlights without mentioning Ela Melo from Rainbow Kitten Surprise, who surprise-announced her engagement to her partner, Cat Cogliandro. When Ela showed off her ring, everyone cheered in excitement for her.

Now, to the set everyone was anticipating: Saturday night was Kesha’s super jam. Kesha brought out a stellar lineup of friends to join her in the set, such as Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Del Water Gap, Mountain Grass Unit, Flipturn, Wyatt Flores, Margo Price, Boy Throb, Blondshell, Chromeo, GROUPLOVE, and Weird Al Yankovic. The array of songs that each of these artists performed with Kesha and their arrangement was just awe-striking by far.

One of my favorites was Mountain Grass Unit, and they sang “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears with a bluegrass twang to it — and never in 1 million years did I ever think that song would work like that? But boy was I wrong. Another crowd favorite was when Weird Al Yankovic came out towards the end of the set, and he sang “Chandelier.” Only one word could describe that moment, and it was purely iconic.

Kesha ended the super jam and brought everyone back on stage, where they sang “Purple Rain,” and ironically, a small sprinkle of rain started as they were singing. Hats off to Kesha and that amazing super jam that she put on.

Now, on Sunday, there was a bit of a hiccup with the weather.

The day started off beautifully, with the night before having a little rain but nothing serious. It’s around 1 p.m., just before the first act of the day was about to go on, when the weather suddenly worsened. Similar to last year, a torrential downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning began, prompting everyone in Centeroo to evacuate.

For those who experienced this last year, their PTSD quickly surfaced again. The rain lasted over three hours, and everyone on the campgrounds was crossing their fingers and toes, hoping not to face another cancellation. Fortunately, the Bonnaroo gods answered our prayers, and the storm passed, allowing the festival to continue into the second half of the day. Unfortunately, though, a good number of acts were canceled due to the storm, including Aly & AJ, who were denied a second year in a row from performing on the Bonnaroo stage because of the weather. Truly crossing my fingers for them to finally have their roodemption next year. Japanese Breakfast wrapped up last.

Even with tremendous mud throughout the festival grounds, true to Bonnaroovian spirit, everyone embraced the mud and had so much fun at all the sets. When Clipse hit the stage, they energized the festival, hyping everyone up for the rest of the schedule with their high-intensity energy.

Closing out the night after a very close call, it was very fitting for the weekend, with Kesha and Noah Kahan performing — two very different vibes, but true to Bonnaroo fashion, those vibes somehow work pretty well together. There’s nothing like hearing Kesha’s new recordings of her old songs and reclaiming them alongside her fans. And for Noah, it was truly one of the most memorable full-circle moments. Back in 2023, he made his debut at the festival at That Tent, and three years later, he was headlining on the main stage. You could tell he was just soaking in every moment.

I think it’s safe to say that this Bonnaroo was a successful roodemption for fans and artists alike. Tremendous hats off must go to the festival organizers! I believe everyone is grateful that you were able to save the rest of Sunday and avoid having to call it quits. Thank you for keeping the magic alive all weekend.

Bonnaroo 2026 Gallery