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Bonnaroo canceled days before it was set to begin due to flooding

Bonnaroo Fun Continues With Concerts, Panels
Posted at 2:31 PM, Aug 31, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-31 18:18:57-04

MANCHESTER, Tenn. — The 2021 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been canceled just days before it was set to begin.

Organizers said the decision to cancel the event was due to the flooding the farm experienced this week due to Hurricane 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."

This year's festival was scheduled for Sept. 2-5.

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.

Although the weather was the reason for the cancellation of Bonnaroo, news of the music festival canceling comes after several other touring acts have had to cancel due to COVID-19.

KISS had to cancel their show in Pittsburgh after frontman Paul Stanley tested positive for the virus.

Caroline Sutton at WTVF first reported this story.