MANCHESTER, TN (CelebrityAccess) – Festival season is in full swing, and that includes the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, a four-day experience of celebrating the best in live music ranging from legends to electronic, jazz, country, rock, and hip hop. The AC Entertainment and C3 Presents produced fest is held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, TN and kicked off Thursday (June 15), running until Sunday (June 18).
Editor’s note: The festival is currently underway and you can check out our live coverage of the event on Instagram.
However, some festivities took place on Wednesday (June 14), with our story contributor Ryan Buynak (@botheringtheband) giving his insight below.
Wednesday (June 14):
“I always tell people that there are two Roos – day Roo and night Roo. They are completely different, and each one stands all on their own. The first night of Bonnaroo is so magical; it has a palpable “if-you-know-you-know” vibe whether you’re a newbie or a veteran.
“The action of the first night of Bonnaroo is found in the Camping Plazas and the Where in the Woods stage, which featured DJs and surprise sets that rocketed into the beyond with cosmic lights and sounds. Headliners included DJ Mel, Maya Jane Coles, Zeds Dead, The Funk Hunters, Shiba San and Sparkle City Disco.
Everyone wore sunglasses through the night as if they knew they would watch the sun come up with the spirits. Not to get too knickered, I danced with my camera, saving my energy for the rest of Roo.”
Thursday (June 15):
The official festival kickoff came on Thursday, with the gates to Centeroo opening with the annual Pride parade – a colorful sea of diversity and freedom of expression. Centeroo, where festival attendees anxiously await the main stage entertainment, was filled as hundreds paraded by and others cheered from the sidelines. RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Big Freedia served as this year’s Grand Marshal.
The first act scheduled for the day, rock outfit CVC would have to wait as a storm system bounded across TN – just in time to delay the start of the festival and put the acts on the bill behind schedule. Organizers closed Centeroo around 2:30 pm due to the impending storm, advising festivalgoers to return to the campgrounds ahead of the expected rainfall.
After an hour-and-a-half storm delay, the organizers switched the schedule to fit all the performances, and the music began playing at 4:30 pm across the three stages.
Those who played on day 1 included Nashville singer/songwriter Molly Tuttle and her band the Golden Highway, singer/songwriter Abraham Alexander, rapper 070 Shake, Big Freedia, Diarrhea Planet, Suki Waterhouse, Dehd, Cimafunk and many more.
Only Bonnaroo could showcase a night of live entertainment that brought Cuban rhythms, Latin funk, rock, and dance on the same stage, one right after the other and offering each fan in the audience something to love. Diversity at its best.
Ryan, our story contributor, had this to say as Bonnaroo closed out Day 1.
“The official first day of the Bonnaroo saw fans fresh-faced, dressed in their festival finery (before the sweat, mud and music fully took over). Ezra Furman harpooned in the afternoon, and Suki Waterhouse soothed the souls of several festivalgoers – young and old.
“After some spicy pie pizza (with pineapple and jalapenos), musician and social media personality Petey rocked the This Tent stage as the sun set over Tennessee. Dehd and Diarrhea Planet rocked That Tent stage, Liquid Stranger said hi to midnight, and Zeds Dead got the crowd moving to 2 am and beyond.
“This is just the beginning…”
Please look below for the CelebrityAccess special edition photo and video recap of Bonnaroo 2023 – Wednesday and Thursday.
