Coronavirus Couldn’t Take Down Bonnaroo 2021 But Hurricane Ida Sure Did
Bonnaroo was supposed to start tomorrow, September 2, in Manchester, Tennessee, but it’s now been BONNARUINED. And it’s not because of COVID-19, even though The Tennessee Department of Health reported a rise in Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Enter: Hurricane Ida. Organizers have canceled Bonnaroo at the last minute due to flooding and heavy rains from Hurricane Ida, which is now Tropical Storm Ida. Honestly, I’m shocked that they didn’t just go on with the show and give festival-goers sponsored floaties.
Like Lollapalooza, which didn’t turn into a super spreader event, Bonnaroo was requiring attendees to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result. But all that doesn’t matter anymore since Ida is the one who brought Bonnaroo down, and not the Delta variant. Bonnaroo takes place on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, about 65 miles southeast of Nashville, and the four-day festival expected 80,000 people, with many of them camping out on the same festival grounds. Unfortunately, CNN Meteorologist, Taylor Ward, reported 5-7 inches of rain there in the past two weeks, most of it from the last 24 hours as Ida moved north. The festival announced the cancelation on Tuesday saying that the ground was “waterlogged” and “flooded to the point that… we are unable to drive in or park vehicles safely.”
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…— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) August 31, 2021
All tickets purchased through Front Gate Tickets will be refunded in as little as 30 days to the original method of payment.
— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) August 31, 2021
This is the second time Bonnaroo hasn’t been able to go on. It was originally scheduled for March 2020 but was pushed to this year because of the pandemic. This year’s line-up included Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Tame Impala, Jason Isbell, Phoebe Bridgers, Incubus, Brittany Howard, and Tyler, the Creator.
So if a deadly infectious disease isn’t ruining musical festivals, the weather is. But while the music will not go on at Bonnaroo, I have a feeling that its organizers are currently being serenaded with screams from festival-goers who are demanding refunds for plane tickets, hotel fees, camping supplies, etc… Not to mention all of the drugs dealers, who will hear the words, “Let me speak to your manager!” after letting festival-goers know that they have a no refund policy.
Pic: YouTube