The 2025 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was abruptly canceled Friday night (June 13) due to persistent and worsening weather conditions, marking a rare mid-event shutdown for the long-running Tennessee festival.

Organizers issued an evacuation notice to attendees earlier in the day and confirmed the cancellation via social media around 7:30 p.m. local time. The announcement cited updated forecasts from the National Weather Service showing ongoing heavy rainfall and unsafe conditions for campers and staff on the 700-acre festival grounds in Manchester, Tennessee.

“Today, the National Weather Service provided us with an updated forecast with significant and steady precipitation that will produce deteriorating camping and egress conditions in the coming days,” the statement read. “We are beyond gutted, but we must make the safest decision and cancel the remainder of Bonnaroo.”

The decision followed a full opening day on Thursday that featured scheduled performances from Luke Combs, Dom Dolla, Insane Clown Posse, and Rebecca Black. But by Friday, severe thunderstorms had begun moving through the region. Friday’s headliners - Tyler, The Creator, John Summit, and Glass Animals - were canceled, along with anticipated weekend sets from Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Justice, Hozier, Vampire Weekend, and Queens of the Stone Age.

Organizers acknowledged the challenges of evacuating a festival of this size and encouraged those in stable camping conditions to remain on-site overnight. “The number one thing we need from the Bonnaroo community is patience,” the statement continued. “Some of your fellow campers’ sites are in rough shape. The rain has settled in areas and made certain parts of Outeroo difficult to manage.”

To prioritize safety and mobility, the organizers requested that attendees in RVs or weatherproof accommodations delay departure until the following day to allow those most affected by the flooding to leave first.

This marks the second time in recent years that Bonnaroo has been disrupted by weather. In 2021, the event was canceled days before it was set to begin due to flooding caused by Hurricane Ida. While last-minute weather-related cancellations are not unprecedented in the U.S. festival circuit, a mid-festival shutdown presents unique logistical and operational difficulties.

Bonnaroo has long distinguished itself for its communal, camping-based setup and multi-day programming. For many attendees, the experience involves far more than music, being an immersive environment with infrastructure demands that make weather management particularly complex. The festival grounds, while expansive, are vulnerable to heavy rain, which can make vehicle exits and foot traffic unsafe.

Refunds for tickets and parking passes are being processed, with the event providing full reimbursement for the canceled days and partial refunds for Thursday, which proceeded as scheduled. “We have put our hearts and souls into making this weekend the most special one of the year,” organizers wrote. “We cannot express how crushed we are to have to make this decision.”

As the live music industry continues to face challenges ranging from climate unpredictability to rising costs, this cancellation adds to a growing list of high-profile events forced to contend with external variables beyond their control.