[See image gallery at www.nashville.com] Editors note: Exclusive Nashville.com Bonnaroo photographer, Elizabeth Thorpe covered more shows than anyone in the crew so it’s only fitting that she write the recap. Thanks Beth! On a personal note it was an amazing Bonnaroo! We can’t wait to come back to the Farm in 2027 The cancellation on Day Two of the 2025 festival left many Bonnaroovians counting the days until we could get back on the Farm for a (hot) mulligan. And 2026 did not disappoint, with a weekend full of glitter, mud, and pure joy. The simple four-band lineup on the What Stage on Thursday left plenty of time for the community to reconnect and turn the energy up (even when the power went out and delayed Four Tet’s set). This year was not without its challenges – the power outage and two rainstorms, one heavy enough to make cancelling Sunday seem like an inevitability. But the festival found ways to keep going, and we were so grateful that they communicated well, kept the music going, and, most importantly, kept us all safe. Thursday was a capsule of what was to come: it started with high-energy punk band Spiritual Cramp, then went to Vince Staples (the first of two rapper/actors, the second being Zack Fox), and Four Tet, who MacGyvered a set with barely any production and brought the good vibes with his spiritual grooves. And then came Skrillex, with his triumphant return to the Farm after 12 years away. The totems were bouncing, hair was flying, lasers crawled across the crowd. Who needs multiple stages? Thursday was about reconnecting, with all of Bonnaroo in the same place. And then Skrillex brought everyone over to the Other for a surprise second set! I know a lot of people scratched their heads over the lineup because it wasn’t packed with immediately recognizable names. But the more I researched the bands, the more I wanted to see, and that enthusiasm only grew when I got to the Farm. I had ten bands on my wish list to shoot, and ended up shooting sixteen. I saw parts of 40+ sets over the weekend, and enjoyed every single one. I also missed out on some I really wanted to see, including Lil Jon, Flipturn, Blood Orange, Fcukers, Freddie Gibbs, and the entire Other Stage lineup. Bonnaroo ADD was back, too. Friday started with Lambrini Girls. Phoebe Lunny was ready to rock after being sidelined by a broken neck and brain injury. The pit was epic, with a mud slip n slide. Next for me was Villanelle, which despite being fronted by Gene Gallagher, son of Oasis’s Liam, seemed warm, friendly, and grateful to be there. They’re a brand new band but pulled off a solid rock set on the biggest stage. I moved on to the new location of That Tent, on the other end of What field, for Wednesday. Time will tell if it will stay in that location, but especially in a non-muddy year, it seems like a good move for crowd flow. We had plenty of UK highlights on Friday. Amble, the Irish folk band that will soon open for Ed Sheeran and presumably skyrocket in popularity. The Isle of Wight’s Wet Leg, which features Rhian Louise Teasdale, one of the best frontwomen in rock. Northern England’s Yungblud, who took full advantage of the big crowd at the What Stage. Turnstile, The Dare, and Hot Mulligan brought more energy, Jessie Murph brought classic style. Blues Traveler was pure nostalgia, and they sounded even better than when I used to see them a lot in the 90s. Of course, the star of the day was GRiZ, with pyro, lasers, visuals, and his signature saxophone. GRiZ filled in for Rainbow Kitten Surprise in 2023 when they had to cancel, and the sunset show was a big boost for him. So he brought out Ela Melo of RKS during this set as a full-circle thank you. Speaking of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, they were at their best on the Which Stage on Saturday. Sounding great and having fun, just what their fans needed (they made some new ones, including me). Saturday started with hardcore band Sunami for me, but then turned to bluegrass and country, with Mountain Grass Unit, and friends Waylon Wyatt and Wyatt Flores. Kesha’s Superjam also featured Mountain Grass Unit, covering Britney Spears with her and Harry Styles solo. Teddy Swims and Weird Al brought crowds to the Which Stage and both delivered entertaining sets with great vocals (Weird Al is an ageless wonder). Shoutout to my favorite of the day, San Francisco’s weird punk band Osees. Double drums at the front of the stage? I’m all in. The headliner, Australian dance group Rüfüs Du Sol, sounded amazing on the What and kept the crowd going for the late-night sets. Sunday could have been the worst day for those of us who were there in 2025. I shot Girl Tones at That Tent and then the order came in to evacuate Centeroo and take shelter in cars. This storm seemed even more intense than last year, and as the water rose in our campsite, we almost packed up to go home, assuming the rest of the day would be cancelled. But miraculously, the news came in that we would restart at 5:30. (So glad to have Bonnaroo Radio back. It was another element that created community this year.) The rest of the night was very, very muddy but the Bonnaroo faithful were full of gratitude and I didn’t hear one complaint for the rest of the night. Major credit to Dale Green and the rest of the grounds crew, who have made many improvements that allowed us to weather that storm. I’m sad that Trombone Shorty’s set was cancelled, but Tedeschi Trucks Band brought classic Bonnaroo spirit. I loved seeing legendary hip hop artists Clipse. Role Model brought almost a Springsteen vibe, and was followed by his New England compatriot Noah Kahan on the What. Meanwhile, Kesha drew a huge crowd to the Which, the likes of which I hadn’t seen since Chappell Roan. This year was about redemption and even ascension for so many people. Kesha is now free to create on her own terms. Malice of Clipse has embraced a God-driven lifestyle and returned to making music as No Malice. Ela Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise is owning her role as frontwoman. GRiZ, Skrillex, and Noah Kahan moved from tents to Bonnaroo’s biggest stage. The weekend was full of punk abandon and EDM PLUR. My 20th was one of the best ever. Back to counting the days til next year… –Elizabeth Thorpe INSTA: @ethorpephoto Nashville Concert Show Tickets! Nashville.com The Worldwide Brand for Nashville!   The post Bonnaroo 2026 Recap: Roodemption! appeared first on Nashville.com. ...read more read less