The What Podcast - Bonnaroo, Festival Culture & Live Music

Latest Episode

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

Season 9, Episode 33 August 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.

Plus, Barry reflects on a full-circle moment: covering Bonnaroo in 2002 as a skeptical newspaper reporter, and getting quoted in Rolling Stone about its future 24 years later.

Get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The Caverns

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

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

How Bonnaroo Gives Back: Live from Planet Roo 2026

S09E25 Jun 24, 2026 1h 8m Video

We're back from The Farm! First, Barry and Russ give a quick recap of an unforgettable Bonnaroo 2026 (our full deep-dive recap is coming soon!). Then we bring you our live panel from the Planet Roo stage, where we sat down with the nonprofits behind Bonnaroo's charitable mission: Kelsey Dewald (Planet Roo / Bonnaroo Works Fund), David Conover (Grundy County Food Bank), Emily Torgrimson (Eat for Equity), Anna Sampson (We Are Neutral), and Nancy Tarr & Deborah Dunn (Well Dunn Foundation). Read More

It's Bonnaroo Week! Hype, Stories & Last-Minute Tips

S09E24 Jun 8, 2026 50m Video Chattanooga, TN

It's Bonnaroo Week! We all got together at Lo Main in Chattanooga to get hyped, swap stories, and run through our last-minute tips before we all head to the farm. Joining us: Austin (aka Squeegee Guy), Tara, and Cassie. We get into going VIP, counting up our Bonnaroos (the math is harder than you'd think), taking family to the farm, staying safe out there, the shows we can't wait to see, and our final tips before we leave. Read More

What Everyone Forgets to Pack at Bonnaroo - and Where to Get It

S09E23 Jun 3, 2026 47m Video

You packed for weeks. You made a list. And you're still going to forget something - everyone does. This week we sat down with Brendan from Mr. B's Festival Needs General Store, who's spent nearly 20 years watching festival-goers realize they left the most important thing at home. Toothbrush, pillow, tent poles, stakes, a power bank - Brendan's seen it all, and he tells us what people forget the most and how to make sure a missing item doesn't wreck your weekend. Read More

Reviews for The What Podcast

Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts

"Love listening to these guys chat about their perspectives on festivals, they’re funny and entertaining, and it gets me excited to think about the next festival and hearing people talk about it. It’s fun to listen to when you’re just chilling or driving to work! It’s comforting as well"

Chloessa

"These guys are so open minded and true Bonnaroo fans! Always listening for the best discussion and information."

cgriffin1292

"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

"Great podcast that gives me a slice of Bonnaroo every week to get me through the mundane. I visit from the PNW every year and this podcast really keeps me in the loop."

BubbaDart

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