The 2025 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was cut short due to severe weather, forcing organizers to cancel the final two days of the event in Manchester Tennessee.
Tens of thousands of festivalgoers were caught in persistent rain and rising water levels throughout the event. Organizers ultimately announced the cancellation after updated weather reports indicated more rain was on the way.
While many attendees accepted the safety-related shutdown, backlash erupted over the initial refund plan. Bonnaroo organizers first announced that four-day ticket holders would receive a 75% refund, a decision that frustrated those who had invested in tickets, travel, and accommodations for the entire weekend.
Within hours of the announcement, a petition calling for full refunds began circulating online. It gained over 5,000 signatures, with fans criticizing Live Nation, which owns and operates Bonnaroo, for poor communication, lack of contingency planning, and inadequate support for attendees trying to leave the muddy campgrounds.
| RELATED: Bonnaroo Cancels 2025 Festival Due to Severe Weather |
Fans used the petition and social media comments to share their experiences, detailing canceled travel arrangements and expenses they were unlikely to recover.
roo was short and sweet but i still want that refund @Bonnaroo pic.twitter.com/CAHV4ZXZaF
— Eric Dontè (@EricDonte) June 18, 2025
If serious changes aren’t made a lot of bonnaroovians will not be back. I am one of those people. Bonnaroo was my first music festival and now I have a horrible taste in my mouth. A 75% refund is shit after spending over $800 on gas, groceries, prep, and a fucking hotel!
— tots (@tatiesanti15) June 17, 2025
Tell live nation to give us a 100% refund. The amount of wasted time, money and energy on top of all the extra money that needed to be spent to accommodate being abandoned 15+ hours from home is insane.
— jlo🍄 (@jennalyntally) June 17, 2025
Full refunds. The amount of time and money we all put into this is more than 75% of the ticket/camping cost. I got to see one show all weekend. 32 hours of round trip driving. This was year 19 and Live Nation is making it real hard for me to want to come back for year 20.
— Chris Vanasse (@chrisv784) June 17, 2025
It didn't go according to plan because you had no plan. You keep your fingers crossed every year and just hope for no rain. A 100% refund is the only thing you should be offering.
— J (@jvecherik) June 17, 2025
frankly you should be ashamed of yourselves! you handled this so poorly, they should be calling this fyre festival 2! now give me a refund. a full one! that’s what’s right!!
— lets ahnf out mofe (@BatteryLiving) June 17, 2025
you guys suck. give a me a full refund now. @LiveNation ruined this festival! i spent so much money on travel accommodations. give me the dang refund now!!! @bonnarooou
— lets ahnf out mofe (@BatteryLiving) June 17, 2025
the entire internet coming together to bully Bonnaroo into 100% refunds https://t.co/Sz4d48peFL pic.twitter.com/xLGRCIZEeg
— Bonnaroovian (@Bonnaroovian) June 20, 2025
In response to the growing public pressure, Bonnaroo organizers announced late Sunday that all attendees would receive a 100% refund. The updated policy includes refunds for four-day ticket holders, single-day passes, and campground accommodations.
“We want you to know that we’re still listening and actively discussing plans to improve The Farm that we love so much,” organizers wrote in a statement posted on social media. “For now, we are updating the refund to 100% rather than the 75% originally offered.”
This year’s cancellation marks the third major disruption for Bonnaroo in the last five years. The festival was previously canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and again in 2021 because of severe weather.
The statement continued to read, “At this time, we will not be announcing future dates. When plans for the future take shape, you all will be the first to know.”
Notably, The Capitol Groove Festival in Hartford, CT, has offered free entry to all Bonnaroo ticketholders. The festival is set to take place from June 28 to 29 at Bushnell Park, featuring headlining performances from Khruangbin, Bleachers, Thundercat, and Cake.
