Great Stage Park Information
You can’t talk about Great Stage Park without talking about The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The festival is an annual four-day music festival developed and produced by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment that has delighted fans since its first year in 2002. The festival has always been held at Great Stage Park’s wide-open acre farm. The festival begins on the second Thursday in June and lasts four days with main attractions including multiple stages featuring live performances from a wide variety of performers and genres.
It doesn’t matter if you love indie rock, classic rock, world music, hip hop, jazz, bluegrass, country music, gospel, reggae, electronic, alternative music, or more, there will be a stage and performance available for you during the event. Music acts even begin on Wednesday evening for early arrivals and continue throughout the festival with performances starting around noon each day with some stages remaining active until sunrise. The festival’s origins began with a focus on jam bands and folk-rock but have since diversified to pay tribute to the entire spectrum of music. Many big-name performers have played on stages during the festival including Eminem, U2, Nine Inch Nails, James Brown, Bob Dylan, The Police, Beastie Boys, Bruce Springsteen, and Widespread Panic just to name a few.
But the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival doesn’t stop at just musical performances as it also features craftsmen and artisan selling unique products and food that you won’t find anywhere else as well as a variety of performance styles from comedy acts, silent disco, cinema experiences, and the famous Ferris wheel. The focus on live and complete outdoor experiences comes from a rich tradition of outdoor rock concerts from the late 60s and early 70s as well as the more recent Phish festivals from the late 90s. Many longtime Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival fans compare the event to 1968’s Woodstock Music & Art Fair or the 1969 and 1970 Atlanta INternational Pop Festivals. In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival as one of the “50 Moments that Changed Rock & Roll” while GO Magazine named it as one of their 10 Best Festivals.
But what does Bonnaroo even mean?
The founders chose the name from Creole slang meaning “a really good time” to show the spirit of fun and entertainment that the festival represents. The name was popularized by Dr. John’s 1974 New Orleans R&B album Desitively Bonnaroo and was derived from the French word Bonne (”Good”) and Rue (”Street”) roughly translating to “The best on the streets”. Every year, when the festival time comes around, Great Stage Park offers the best entertainment in Tennessee on the massive and lush acreage for all to enjoy.
Best of all, after 2019’s record-breaking festival sell out, the venue is still on the rise now that Live Nation bought out Superfly’s share of Bonnaroo, which means that it will be bigger than ever for the 2020 year. Great Stage Park is also seeing continued expansion and growth as site owners work tirelessly to make sure that the venue is even more convenient, comfortable, and safe than ever before. So when you visit Great Stage Park for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival or any of their upcoming concerts, events, and shows, you know you won’t walk away without a smile.
See the below pages for further information on the Great Stage Park:
Great Stage Park Parking:
Read about parking options and rules at the Great Stage Park.
Ticket Policies:
Read about the industry leading ticket guarantee and ticket authenticity policies when purchasing from tickets via this website.
Great Stage Park Seating Chart:
View the Great Stage Park seating chart and read information on the various seating options.