A Dive Into The Bonnaroo Outeroo Lineup
Bonnaroo is a festival I am rather obsessed with. As many of you know, I do the Artist of the Day series for the festival which involves doing a deep dive into each of the artists announced on the lineup. However, there are other announcements that creep into frame as we get closer and closer to the festival, including the Outeroo campground lineup. This year, Bonnaroo is going all out once again to make their campground another whole festival experience separate from their already stellar lineup.
There are some familiar plazas returning this year such as Where in the Woods, Galactic Giddy-Up, and the House of Yes. The two to note personally are Where in the Woods and the House of Yes. Where in the Woods is a massive stage nestled in the woods of the campground where EDM artists spin all weekend with art installations galore, loads of trees where you can set up hammocks for the entire weekend, and even an assortment of food trucks to keep you fueled. The House of Yes is an immersive theater experience with shows every night of the festival, including a Dirty Circus and interactive movie screenings. Last year they did a rendition of the Beatle’s Yellow Submarine where the animated movie was played between live, interactive performance pieces performed specifically for Bonnaroo. And if you really want to throw down, Bonnaroo’s famous Pride Parade happens at the House of Yes with this year having special guests Big Freedia and Cimafunk. Although it can be hard to pull yourself away from the music, I highly recommend checking out the House of Yes.
Some newer plazas to note are Space Cadet Camp, the Toyota Music Den, and the House of Matroomony. Space Cadet Camp is the Groop plaza this year that will host trivia, tournaments, the Friday Craft Beer Exchange, shenanigans, and homestyle brunch bites from Cracker Barrel. The Toyota Music Den is a sponsored plaza that will be hosting a variety of sets including Paris Jackson, JP Saxe, and CVC. The House of Matroomony isn’t new per se as this installation took over the Christmas Barn (RIP), but this year it is being moved to the plazas. This plaza offers a place for folks to host weddings during the festival and offers nightly champagne toasts. Last year they had a Dolly Parton impersonator as the officiant. More details are coming about this plaza in the coming weeks.
Regarding artists on the Outeroo lineup, there are a few that you should note. Zeds Dead is doing a late-night set Thursday at Where in the Woods to kick off the festival. Bob Moses is doing a club set on Saturday night at Where in the Woods that will surely be a highlight of the weekend. The Beths are playing that same day and bring wild energy to their shows, especially smaller intimate ones. CVC will be playing Friday in the campgrounds and a potential extra secret set in the RV camping area. Alesso, who is literally one of the biggest names in EDM worldwide, is playing an Eclipse set at Where in the Woods to close out the festival on Sunday.
There is a lot more that I haven’t covered here, both part of the official announcement and secret gems that tend to pop up in the campgrounds during Bonnaroo, such as helicopter rides above the festival and random secret sets. This extra dimension of campground shenanigans makes Bonnaroo a top-tier festival in my opinion. This year will be the 41st festival I’ve ever attended and just one of the many, many I plan to go to in the future. I hope to see you on the Farm this year!