Bonnaroo backlash

Photo Credit: Stonyblony / CC by 4.0

A petition has been started asking for 100% refunds from Live Nation after Bonnaroo’s last-minute cancellation.

After Bonnaroo’s mid-festival cancellation due to weather, attendees have taken to social media to demand full refunds. A petition has been started on change.org asking Live Nation for a 100% refund, while the festival’s Instagram post elicits even more backlash from festival-goers.

“This year’s Bonnaroo music festival, owned and managed by Live Nation, was nothing short of disappointing for thousands of attendees,” reads the petition, started by Kaitlyn Ziegler on change.org. “Many festival-goers faced unexpected challenges, including extreme weather conditions, poor organization, and subpar facilities. These issues rendered the festival experience exhausting and unrewarding, contrary to what was promised when tickets were purchased.”

As of this writing, over 6,000 people have signed the petition. One signee named Brian commented on the petition, saying the festival needed to be cancelled and they were glad it was. However, a 75% refund is “a laugh in the face” at the “hundreds, if not thousands” of dollars festival attendees spent on food, supplies, and traveling expenses.

“I understand that throwing a festival this massive requires a great amount of logistics to function properly, and I also understand that cost a lot of money for Live Nation too,” Brian’s post continued. “However, Live Nation is a large and powerful company. They have the capability of organizing a proper response protocol to storms, yet they choose not to do so.”

Meanwhile, Bonnaroo organizers posted on the festival’s official Instagram account, thanking attendees and the Bonnaroo team. “Last weekend did not go according to plan, but together we got through it,” they wrote. “Know that we are listening and reading every single comment. Bonnaroo is not a weekend on a farm in Tennessee—it’s all of you. We love you.”

But many comments in reply to the post were not as understanding. Complaints ranged from issues with the refund policy to drainage problems at the festival site, and ultimately, trust in festival organizers and Live Nation.

“Together we got through it?? There was zero togetherness between Roo staff and attendees,” wrote one angry festival-goer. “WE did that shit, WE pushed cars out of the mud, WE took care of each other, WE kept the Roo spirit alive in Nashville. Y’all did absolutely fucking NOTHING to help us after the announcement.”

“This isn’t Bonnaroo anymore,” said another commenter. “It’s Live Nation in disguise.”

Live Nation and festival organizers have yet to respond to the aforementioned petition. Thus far, their only comment on the cancellation (after the initial announcement) has been the post on the festival’s official Instagram. It remains to be seen if attendees’ request for 100% refunds will be granted.

Meanwhile The Capital Groove festival has announced they are offering Bonnaroo ticket holders free entry to the two-day festival in Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford, Connecticut—in the spirit of festival community and support. To qualify attendees must show proof of their 2025 Bonnaroo ticket purchase with a matching ID.