The What Podcast - Bonnaroo, Festival Culture & Live Music

Latest Episode

Inside Bumbershoot: Where Music Meets DIY Art (and Wrestling)

Season 9, Episode 36 September 16, 2026 48m Video

Our bicoastal correspondent Elizabeth Thorpe is back, and this time she's breaking down Bumbershoot, the Seattle festival where music meets DIY art, animation, a fashion district, roller derby, and yes, actual wrestling.

Beth walks us through all of Bumbershoot: the lineup (Death Cab for Cutie, Turnstile, De La Soul, Bikini Kill, Orville Peck), what makes a city festival different from a camping one, and the outsider-arts culture that Bumbershoot still preserves, the same DIY spirit that gave rise to grunge. Plus, a look ahead to CaveFest (camping tips and what's new), a Shaky Knees preview, Hulaween, and some Chattanooga artists who just landed an NPR Tiny Desk concert.

We're giving away two tickets to CaveFest at The Caverns (October 10-11, camping included)! Details: https://thewhat.co/giveaway

If you don't win, get tickets to CaveFest here!

Headed to Hulaween? Use code THEWHATPODCAST for $20 off a four-day pass. https://thewhat.co/hulaween

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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Previous Episodes

Two Festivals We're Hitting This Fall: Shaky Knees & CaveFest

S09E35 Sep 9, 2026 34m Video

Bonnaroo may be taking 2027 off, but festival season isn't over. This week Barry and Russ break down the two festivals they're hitting this fall, Shaky Knees in Atlanta and CaveFest at The Caverns, and share their tips for doing each one right. One's a city festival, one's a camping festival, and they're very different experiences. Read More

After Bonnaroo: How to Choose Your Next Festival

S09E34 Sep 2, 2026 47m Video

No Bonnaroo in 2027? Here's how to figure out where to go instead. With Bonnaroo taking a fallow year, a lot of us are asking the same question: what festival do we go to now? So we brought in long-time friend of the show Liesl (@rockstarsweat), a festival superfan who's been to Bonnaroo, Pickathon, Glastonbury, Solid Sound and just about everywhere in between, to talk through how she actually chooses which festivals to attend. Read More

Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm

S09E33 Aug 26, 2026 1h 15m Video

Bonnaroo is taking 2027 off, and we wanted to dig into what's next. This week we're joined by David Bruce (I Am Bonnaroo) and Ryan French, a Manchester city councilman and tourism official with a front-row seat to what a fallow year actually means for the town Bonnaroo calls home. We get into the economic ripple through Manchester, why Bonnaroo is the "bell cow" for festivals far beyond itself, what a year off does to the local businesses and community that depend on it, and why our guests are hopeful about 2028 and beyond. Read More

Bonnaroo Cancels 2027: Our Live Reaction

Aug 21, 2026 22m Video

We officially have confirmation on Bonnaroo's 2027 cancellation. We got together to share our initial reaction, and Barry literally pulled over on the side of the road to record this. As far as The What Podcast goes, we're still here every week and we'll have a deeper dive into this news next week. Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. Read More

Is Hulaween Everything Bonnaroo Used to Be?

S09E32 Aug 19, 2026 1h 9m Video

Is Hulaween everything Bonnaroo used to be? We put the question to John, our EDM and jam-scene correspondent, and his answer says a lot about how both festivals have changed. John makes the case for Hulaween, String Cheese Incident's own festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, where the daily lineups just dropped. Read More

How Has Bonnaroo Changed? A Festival Photographer's View

S09E31 Aug 12, 2026 1h 9m Video

How has Bonnaroo changed over the years? We asked someone with a rare vantage point - Elizabeth Thorpe, festival photographer and our West Coast correspondent, who's been going to Bonnaroo since 2004 and now shoots it from inside the photo pit. Beth walks us through what the festival experience is really like from behind the lens: the "first three songs only" rule, why the pit is her happy place, and how Bonnaroo has evolved from a freewheeling field party into something bigger, busier, and more produced. Read More

What Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a Podcast

S09E30 Aug 5, 2026 56m Video

What do Bonnaroo fans actually want from a podcast? We surveyed our listeners - and 89% agreed on the answer. In this episode of The What Podcast, Barry, Bryan, and Russ break down the results of our listener survey: where you're really listening (YouTube is running away with it), how you found the show, and what content you want more of. Read More

Bonnaroo Radio Takeover ft. Noah Kahan, String Cheese Incident & More

Jul 29, 2026 2h Video

The What Podcast took over Bonnaroo Radio in 2026! We present a two-hour special that aired during the festival, bringing together Noah Kahan, RÜFÜS DU SOL, String Cheese Incident's Kyle Hollingsworth, and the people who built and shaped Bonnaroo. Produced and packaged by Bryan Stone, and now collected here in full. Read More

Bonnaroo's Lineup Secrets, From a Booking Agent Named Keith Richards

S09E29 Jul 22, 2026 52m Video

We had the chance to sit down with Keith Richards this week. Not that Keith Richards - let's get that out of the way early. Our actual guest is the newly-named Head of Festivals at Ground Control Touring, an independent booking agency representing artists from Waxahatchee to Japanese Breakfast to Manchester Orchestra. Read More

We Filled Out Bonnaroo's 2027 Music Census

S09E28 Jul 15, 2026 1h 10m Video

Bonnaroo puts out an official music census every year asking fans what they want to see next - so this year, we sat down together to answer every single question. We walk through it all: genres, headliners, comedy acts, late-night programming, the future of That Tent's new location, Bonnaroo Radio, and more. Read More

The Bonnaroo Yearbook Guy Is Now Bonnaroo Famous

S09E27 Jul 8, 2026 56m Video

Meet the man who's become a Bonnaroo legend, one signature at a time. Caleb Arias, creator of the Bonnaroo Yearbook, joins us for the third time to break down how his passion project exploded this year. What started as pitching strangers to sign a notebook is now three-hour lines, sold-out printed editions, and fans hand-crafting custom trinkets just for him. Read More

How Bonnaroo 2026 Survived the Storm (And Became Unforgettable)

S09E26 Jul 1, 2026 1h 30m Video

Bonnaroo 2026 might have been the best one yet, and we are here to break down the entire weekend for you! We recap a festival full of serendipity: a surprise wedding in The Grove, an unforgettable run-in with singer-songwriter Jesse Welles on Shakedown Street, Bryan's first-ever Roo Run, and the Noah Kahan set and fireworks that closed it all out. Read More

Reviews for The What Podcast

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"This podcast is the best. If you are into festivals at all this is a must listen."

Brenden Killion

"As someone who has been to 10 Bonnaroos, I can attest that @bradstinks and @BarryJC have got it right with their podcast The What. Somehow I've missed out on the fun the last two summers but listening to them wax poetic on the new lineup has me determined to figure out how to make it to The Farm this year. Can't wait for the next episode fellas. Thanks for radiating positivity and keep em coming!"

@natebake

"This is a must watch if you live bonnaroo or festivals in general! Nothing gets you more hyped and keeps you well informed of all things roo related."

PunkyPandaVII

"I started listening 3 years ago when searching for Bonnaroo tips! This podcast has great information and gives year around news about Bonnaroo. Happy Roo!"

tyleryates3030

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