MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WTVF) — The 2021 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been canceled just days before it was set to begin.
Organizers said the decision was made to cancel the event due to the flooding the farm experienced this week due to Tropical Depression Ida.
Festival organizers released the following statement about the cancellation:
"We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we must cancel Bonnaroo. While this weekend’s weather looks outstanding, currently Centeroo is waterlogged in many areas, the ground is incredibly saturated on our tollbooth paths, and the campgrounds are flooded to the point that 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 safely and in a way that lives up to the Bonnaroo experience.
Please find ways to safely gather with your Bonnaroo community and continue to radiate positivity during this disappointing time. WE WILL SEE YOU ON THE FARM IN JUNE 2022!
All tickets purchased through Front Gate Tickets will be refunded in as little as 30 days to the original method of payment."
The remnants of Ida left its mark in Middle Tennessee pouring down buckets of rain.
"It's actually very muddy; the fields are just saturated with water as you can imagine and getting around is very difficult," said Paul Thornton, who runs the general store at the festival with his wife.
Thornton described the grounds at the Great Stage Park - the outdoor space home to Bonnaroo.
"I think probably that's what the biggest impact was for the event for them to call the event off because the tying people in and out is going to be very difficult," Thornton said. "There's a lot of people that have traveled from great distances to set up their tents and stuff to sell food and merchandise. So, yes, it has a huge impact on a lot of people. "
Thornton said since the beginning he and his wife have raised donations through Bonnaroo to help people in need.
For the second straight year now, those donations will be low.
"It's not just us, there's a lot of programs that are affected by this. A lot of the high school facility where sports and things of that nature are affected in this as well, along with the community," said Thornton.
He just hopes the show will go on perfectly next year.
"We're a strong community, and we'll pull through just like we always have," he said.
This year's festival was scheduled for September 2 through 5. Last year's event was canceled due to COVID-19. Instead, organizers opted for a three-day virtual event that featured new and archived performances.
The four-day festival was supposed to be headlined by The Foo Fighters, Lizzo and Tyler, The Creator. Other performers included Megan Thee Stallion, Tame Impala, Lana Del Rey, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Leon Bridges and Incubus.
