Bonnaroo or Bust 2011

[bboyer90]

What up Kyle,
I attended Bonnaroo this year. N i got to say it was a amazing experience that i will be going to next year haha. First, i suggest that you bring roughly around $400. As i remember correctly tickets are 250 then you wanna throw in $50 for gas and $100 for spending (Bonnaroo is not cheap). Second, do not stay at a hotel/motel you do not get the whole Bonnaroo experience if you do that. It was fun to get to know the people camping next to you and get drunk with them. Third, bring 4 days worth of food, water, and cloths. Fourth, bring a camalbak. They do not allow you to bring in any beer or liquor in Center roo (where the bands play) so put your liquor in the camalbak and enjoy. Fifth, BRING A LOT OF BEER AND LIQUOR VERY ESCENTIAL! Also, it would not hurt to bring a pong table along if you have room. It was a great way to bring hot girls back to the tent ha. Sixth, bring some portable fans along. It is very hot at Bonnaroo so that would be a very smart move on your part. This trip is going to be beneficial for you, you will remember it for the rest of you lives. Although, you are going to wanna go back next year and probably the year after that. HELL I AM!

[emerym2000]

This year was my first year at the roo also... i went with 2 other friends from mid ohio it took us about 8 hours and stayed at a friends house in northern tennessee and when we came in we came in on 55 south which apparently bypasses all the traffic from the interstate cuz the popo waved us right past the extremely long line right into the road that leads to the place where they check your stuff for glass... i recomend if you bring liquor or whiskey to either buy it in plastic(duh) or put it in gatorade bottles... once you get throught and set your stuff up, i recomend bringing some sort of awning to cover your tent cuz the sun sucks at 8 in the morning ecspecially after staying up until 6 either in centerroo or partying at your tent, and also bring a decent sized portable fan. last years bonnaroo had a record setting heat wave for bonnaroo on saterday, so plan on it being hott, after you have everything set up listen up and you will hear peaple yelling out random drugs walking through tent city... next thing i recomend is make friends with everybody around you.. i mean everyone... its not hard just say hi where are you from, everybody is waiting for it and almost expecting it and it will make for a much better time to know the people near you and run a big group into centeroo too party durring the headliners... its a good time.... anyways haha anybody going next year from cali/ orange county area willing to car pool??.. i just moved here and would like to road trip across county... i will pay my share on gas and im a cool dude thatll make sure to make it a good experience

[adrock1117]

One of the most important thing to know about bonnaroo is that it is very hot and there is no shade except that which you make for yourself. So you need to bring a pavillion and tarps or tapestries to block the sun. Also make sure you bring A LOT of water. It is sometimes a bit of a hike to the vendor stands from your campsite. Also, in that heat, alcohol and other substances affect you differently. A good rule of thumb is to drink one bottle of water for every two beers/drinks you have. This may sound like a lot but I promise you that it will make a huge difference in your ability to make it through the day and still attend the late night sets where all the crazy fun stuff happens. Another thing is LOOK OUT FOR YOUR FRIENDS!!! I was quite unnerved by all the people (mostly kids) completely passed out in the grass all around centeroo (where all the stages are). They were getting stepped on and god only knows what else. I can't imagine waking up alone in the middle of a field at 4am wondering where my friends are. So don't separate if you can avoid it and make a designated meeting spot. Then you have to decide when to meet if you separate. If we get separated we usually wait until set-break to go to the designated meeting spot but some people don't want to be alone at all so they go to the meeting spot immediately upon being separated. So make all these arrangements before your first trip to centeroo. And the most important piece of advice I have for you is don't go crazy on Thursday and wear yourself out. It's a long weekend and there it is difficult to sleep because there is music and people up until 5am and the sun is up at 7 and its ninety degrees in your tent ( oh yeah get on O2 cool battery operated fan for your tent). Point is: you don't have to do all the drugs offered to you the day you get there. You got all weekend:)

[BDaniPhotography]

I have never attended Bonnaroo (although I could for go for free every year if I chose to because of some family ties), but every year since the festival started the effects can be felt all the way back in Nashville. Having lived in Tennessee all of my life, I can attest to the extreme summer weather. It is incredibly hot here, and the humidity on top of that can, at times, become almost unbearable. I cannot agree more with the others that have advised you to stay hydrated at all times to enjoy the concert in this weather.
The traffic is atrocious the week of Bonnaroo headed down I-24, so if at all possible find an alternate route to Manchester. I am from Manchester originally, and while it is a small town there are back-ways to get there. The time you spend going out of your way to avoid this heavily trafficked route will be well spent.
While you are down in Manchester, you should definitely find the time to go through Lynchburg and check out the free tour at the Jack Daniels Distillery. I do not drink at all, and I really enjoyed myself there!
While you are in Nashville, you must check out the area of town known as Lower Broad (Broadway, Nashville's main strip) with all the honky tonks. There is live music every night in Nashville, and many places welcome all-ages crowds. My new favorite restaurant here is Burger Up. A bit pricey for burgers, but so worth it. Get the fried pickles for appetizers, the Woodstock burger, and the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding for dessert. Enjoy!

[Blubloodnme23]

A lot of great information has been posted on this thread and you will realize it once you get there. There are still a couple vital pieces of information tho. Dont forget to roam http://bonnaroo.com/ either. There you will find FAQ's, What to bring and not to bring, etc. You will also find a schedule making part where you click the bands you like and you can print a detailed schedule so you never can miss an opportunity. If you want to film and make this and memorable moment in your life prepare. Listen to a few bands on the set list each day and broaden your horizon. There will be times in your day when you think no one is playing and that is what these festivals are all about...sharing new music with the masses. You will probably meet some of the nicest people in the united states. I attended Roo 09 and it was definitely a life changing experience. Just the overall vibe of the place made it feel like a giant family. I want to note I was 18 and I did no hallucinagens while there so dont take me as the hippy type lol. In saying this always use common sense, there are still shark lurking. If you dont know what you are buying, dont buy it. If you would like me to go in detail about that you can PM me. Dont worry about your age once you get there either. You wont get carded. As to security, they are pretty lenient but are looking for key things. Again common sense. Running around being an impaired child causing a scene is likely to have consequences. Glass, Nitrous, and trash is a no. Respect them and they will respect you. Expect long lines getting into Centeroo before big acts. They search people upon discretion. Girls get by the random pats easier and backpacks get opened. Depends on the person whether they want to look, or see, what you have. Once your are in you are free. You will no longer see any type of authority, just a random selection of the most interesting people around. As to supplies I wont mention what was mentioned before but i will say that we had 3 guys and 1 girl in a Saturn Ion so packing light was a must. Wet wipes and a buzzed hair cut can be your best friend. They can keep you from long lines at the showers and missing out on great bands. Any type of trail mix or protein bars are great. Oatmeal for breakfast and make sandwhiches or even cook on a portable grill for lunch. I bought one meal a day which was usually dinner because it was a 20 minute walk from Centeroo to my campsite. Also, little things like your car phone charger ha, I made that mistake. A lighter each is useful and bring plenty of tobacco if you choose as packs of cigs are up toward $10. We bought any perishable items at Wal Mart when we first arrived which is conveniently close to Great Stage Park. I feel like there is so much more to say but the best part is none of the information you receive will compare to the knowledge you will have at the end of the Fest. Hope I helped, and have fun.

[LetsDoThis]

Hello! Thanks for all the useful tips, anyone here traveling from California? I would like to make a road trip there for ROO and not many friends of mine can go because of work or money or one thing or another. I would love to carpool with a few people up there!! Let me know if anyone is in the SoCal area or how I can find them! Thanks everyone! - Nicole

[JBSalem]

Hey guys,
I am also going to bonnaroo with a few friends this summer, anyone that is going is welcome to ping me so that we can meet up during the concert and hang out, it would be great to meet all of you. As most of you said, common sense is the key part of getting into bonnaroo dont do anything stupid. And anyone that can please ping me with a list of the most useful items you brought in your previous experiences im trying to put together a list to aquire so that we can have all the items we would need and be ready to go right away!