The What Podcast - Bonnaroo, Festival News, and More

Latest Episode

Bonnaroo 2025 Schedule Breakdown: Highlights, Conflicts & Surprises

Season 8, Episode 16 April 23, 2025 1h 10m Video

The Bonnaroo 2025 schedule is finally here! Barry, Bryan, and Taco break it down day-by-day and explore the surprises, conflicts, and can't-miss sets on this year's lineup. From the historic addition of three What Stage acts on Thursday-Luke Combs, Marcus King, and Wilderado-to Friday's major scheduling conflicts like Goose and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, the crew delivers their initial thoughts and reactions. It's not just all on the main stages though, the Outeroo schedule is packed with events and performances that are guaranteed not-to-miss.

But that's not all: we've got some details to share on our first-ever live podcast and meetup on Thursday in Planet Roo, and we want you to join! Plus, we dive into Bryan's SweetWater 420 Fest experience, the Dogs in a Pile show last week, and we look ahead to CaveJam weekend next month. Get your own printable copy of the schedule here: https://thewhat.co/2025schedule (thanks Lindsey!)

Listen to the breakdown of the Bonnaroo 2025 schedule here, or watch it on YouTube. And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The What Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Previous Episodes

Dogs in a Pile Talk Bonnaroo 2025 Debut, Jam Band Roots, and Songwriting with Tom Marshall

S08E15 Apr 16, 2025 1h 7m Video

In this episode of The What Podcast, Barry and Bryan sit down with Brian Murray and Jeremy Kaplan from Dogs in a Pile, the fast-rising jam band making their Bonnaroo debut in 2025. From their early days playing Grateful Dead covers on the Jersey Shore to developing a genre-bending sound influenced by Zappa, Coltrane, and Miles Davis, the band shares their journey and what fans can expect when they hit the stage in Manchester this June. Read More

World of Bluegrass comes to Chattanooga and the Latest Bonnaroo 2025 News

S08E14 Apr 9, 2025 1h 14m Video

This week on The What Podcast, we're diving into Bonnaroo and the World of Bluegrass! In an exclusive interview, we chat with Ken White, Executive Director of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and Randy Steele, a local bluegrass musician, about moving the World of Bluegrass event from Raleigh to Chattanooga in 2025. Read More

Bonnaroo 2025 Countdown: Ticket Sales Update & Our Lineup Deep Dive

S08E13 Apr 2, 2025 1h 12m Video

The countdown to Bonnaroo 2025 is officially on! In this episode, we dive into the buzz surrounding ticket sales-could this be a rare sellout year? We also explore the lineup with fan-suggested artists you won't want to miss and build the ultimate festival playlist. Plus, we discuss exciting updates like Bonnaroo's new disc golf announcement, the World of Bluegrass coming to Chattanooga, and shakeups in Goose that could impact their set. Read More

And the Bonnaroo 2025 Ticket Winner is...

S08E12 Mar 26, 2025 1h 2m Video

Spring has finally sprung, and that means two things: less than 80 days to Bonnaroo 2025, and it's time to reveal our contest winners! After twelve weeks and countless entries, The What Podcast crew selects the winner of two GA wristbands plus a camping pass, a print from I Am Bonnaroo photographer David Bruce, and a Bonnaroo Yearbook! We also start our deep dive into the Bonnaroo 2025 lineup, starting with your suggestions and Bryan shares his Bonnaroo playlist to kick things off. Read More

5 Years After COVID: How Bonnaroo Survived & Came Back Stronger

S08E11 Mar 19, 2025 50m Video

It's been five years since COVID-19 shut down the world, bringing live music and festivals like Bonnaroo to a halt. In this episode of The What Podcast, we reflect on how the pandemic impacted the festival industry, from the mass cancellations of 2020 to Bonnaroo's remarkable post-COVID comeback. Barry even records while battling COVID for the first time, making this anniversary discussion all the more surreal. Read More

Bonnaroo's Infamous "Squarch": The Full Story with Tim "Tuba" Smith

S08E10 Mar 12, 2025 1h 21m Video

In Bonnaroo's 20+ year history, few controversies stung fans more than the fiery demise of its iconic arch in 2019-replaced by a giant LED monolith nicknamed "The Squarch". In a rare interview with The What Podcast, Tim "Tuba" Smith-C3 Presents' Director of Festivals and Strategic Initiatives-finally tells us the full story. Read More

Bonnaroo Community Spotlight: How Church Boners Became a Festival Family

S08E09 Mar 5, 2025 1h 42m Video

Ever wonder how some Bonnaroo veterans claim the same prime camping spot every year? In this jam-packed episode of The What Podcast, we continue diving into the Bonnaroo camping experience with the legendary Church Boners crew. From their humble beginnings in 2007 to becoming one of the most recognizable and welcoming camps on The Farm, Rick, Chad, Sean, Nicholas, Justin, and Caroline share hilarious stories, pro camping tips, and the magic of building a Bonnaroo family. Read More

Camping at Bonnaroo: Must-Know Updates and New Amenities for 2025

S08E08 Feb 26, 2025 1h 26m Video

Bonnaroo isn't just about the music - camping is a huge part of the experience, and that's the focus of this week's episode of The What Podcast. Listeners recently submitted their top camping questions on our Discord server, and we brought in Brad Parker, Festival Director for C3 Presents, to get the answers straight from the source. Read More

Top Bonnaroo 2025 Acts You Can't Miss

S08E07 Feb 19, 2025 1h 30m Video

It's time to dive into the Bonnaroo 2025 lineup, and who better to guide us than our old buddy Brad Steiner? Longtime fans of the show will remember Brad as co-host of the show, who founded The What Podcast back in 2018 with Barry. We catch up with Brad and get an idea of what his life is like in New York City after leaving the show. Read More

Reliving Bonnaroo's Best Shows and the Latest Festival News

S08E06 Feb 12, 2025 1h 9m Video

Bonnaroo is packed with unforgettable performances, from iconic sets by My Morning Jacket to legendary moments with Tom Petty. In this week's episode of The What Podcast, we reflect on some of the shows we'd love to relive and hear from listeners about their favorite Bonnaroo memories. Speaking of reflection, Barry, Bryan, and Russ also share some of their favorite interviews over the past 7 years from older episodes of The What Podcast. Read More

3000 Miles to Bonnaroo: A Solo Traveler's Experience from Ireland

S08E05 Feb 5, 2025 1h 25m Video

The What Podcast goes international this week with our special guest, Geraldine from Dublin, Ireland. A devoted Bonnaroo attendee since 2019, Geraldine shares her incredible journey of traveling solo across the Atlantic to experience the festival. From navigating long-haul flights and shuttles to discovering new music and embracing the Bonnaroo community, she gives a unique perspective on what makes the festival so special. Read More

The Bonnaroo Yearbook: Capturing Festival Memories

S08E04 Jan 29, 2025 1h 24m Video

What started as a simple icebreaker at music festivals has blossomed into the Bonnaroo Yearbook, a one-of-a-kind community art project created by photographer Caleb Arias. Caleb's journey began when he brought a journal to his first festival and invited others to sign it. By the time he attended Bonnaroo, he discovered its unparalleled sense of community and decided to publish the Bonnaroo Yearbook to share and celebrate the memories he'd collected. Read More

Reviews for The What Podcast

Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts

"Not only do I love the podcast, but I enjoy it so much, it's the only patreon I subscribe to. Any fan of Bonnaroo, or the festival industry as a whole, should definitely listen!"

RossMac018

"Such a great festival podcast - great deep dives on the artists and fun stories. It's awesome to hear from festival organizers and to hear them talk about how the festival is run."

Chloe

"Glad I discovered this this year! This podcast gets me so excited and builds up momentum for Roo. Fun to listen to artists and other behind the scenes info."

Cantigas321

"HAPPY ROOOOOO! Thanks for sharing in the lineup excitement with me :)"

Courtneylax17297

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