All photos ©Sarah Sturgis, used with permission by United By Pop.
It was another memorable year at Bonnaroo, and it would not be Bonnaroo without some rain delays.
Friday
Friday began under rainy skies that quickly led to stage and schedule changes. Dora Jar ended up being one of my favorite sets of the weekend. Even with a stage and time shift, she delivered a theatrical performance. Between her movement, expressions, dancing, whimsical outfit, and even a swing setup for her guitar, the entire set felt playful and imaginative.
Another highlight from Friday was Amble. The Irish folk group has recently been playing shows with Dermot Kennedy and Ed Sheeran and has a sound reminiscent of early Mumford & Sons. It was a fun set and enjoyable to hear live.
Wet Leg, who performed on the Which stage Friday evening, also did not disappoint.
The Strokes headlined Friday night and brought a colorful and iconic set. There is just something about seeing The Strokes in a festival setting that is hard to beat. And Turnstile’s late-night set that followed was pure chaos in the best way, with nonstop energy, mosh pits, and a set that felt like the true start of the weekend.
Saturday
On Saturday, the sun finally came out and, thankfully, some of the mud had dried up.
Holly Humberstone delivered a memorable set that felt both delicate and powerful live, and The Runarounds drew one of the most engaged and enthusiastic crowds of the weekend. After their TV show, it was exciting to see them live. Jeremiah is leaving the band to pursue other creative paths, and fans were holding posters and signs that read, “We will miss you, Jeremiah.”
Flipturn’s 10 p.m. set was another highlight, drawing a large crowd and continuing to build on their growing fanbase year after year.
Sunday
By Sunday, the rain returned.
Girl Tones performed just before a weather delay. The sister duo still managed to deliver a memorable set just before the storm rolled in.
Around 2 p.m., a thunderstorm shut the festival down for several hours. Attendees were sent back to their cars or shelter as the grounds flooded, and several sets were unfortunately canceled, including Aly & AJ, Spacey Jane, Blondshell, and other artists that many people were looking forward to.
When the festival reopened, Japanese Breakfast felt like a reset button. The sun broke through, crowds slowly made their way back in, and staff worked to clear standing water and mud from the grounds.
Sunday acts such as Del Water Gap and Role Model brought a burst of joy that matched the energy of the recovering crowd. Role Model also played a new unreleased song called “Joy,” which felt fitting after a day of weather delays and canceled sets.
To close out the weekend, Noah Kahan took the What Stage and brought exactly the energy the crowd needed. One moment that stood out was him joking about how bad the mud smelled before going right into playing Orbiter. Even Noah acknowledged what everyone had been dealing with all day, and somehow it made the moment feel even more real and memorable.
The heavy rain and mud clearly impacted the final day, and weather continues to be a recurring challenge for the festival. Still, Bonnaroo remains something special, defined just as much by resilience and unpredictability as by the music itself.
Overall, Bonnaroo 2026 was muddy, chaotic, intimate, and memorable.
But as always, the live music made it all worth it.
Here’s hoping next year they consider changing the date and booking Aly & AJ again for a third year so they can finally have their set.