MANCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) — The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is underway in Tennessee, bringing thousands of fans to a 700-acre farm camp and concert hall for more than 150 performances this weekend of week. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone and Pretty Lights are among those headlining the sprawling annual event.
Concertgoers faced a hot, sunny weekend on the Bonnaroo grounds, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Nashville. The annual four-day festival, which began Thursday, features live music on more than 10 stages. The presentations last all night and into the early hours of the morning, including sunrises.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ headlining set on Saturday went well past midnight, during which the band played some of their hits, starting with “Can’t Stop.” Vocalist Anthony Kiedis, wearing an orthopedic boot on his left foot and a knee brace on his right leg, invited the audience to join them for “a little after-party” at a Waffle House restaurant, The Tennessean reported.
Other artists include Megan Thee Stallion, Cage The Elephant, Maggie Rogers, Melanie Martinez, Khruangbin, Fred again, Cigarettes After Sex, Jason Isbell and 400 Unit, Diplo and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Bonnaroo began on a rural Tennessee farm more than two decades ago. Over the years, it has featured a diverse lineup, from Elton John and Jay Z to Paul McCartney, DeadMau5 and Bruce Springsteen. It also has a 24-hour cinema, a comedy club, a beer festival and plays.
Annual attendance at Bonnaroo is around 80,000 people. Some of this year’s performances will stream on Hulu.
With heat indices projected at least 30 degrees Celsius (about 100 Fahrenheit), paramedics tended to various heat-related conditions and some revelers set up elaborate combinations of awnings and tents for shade; others had their sunscreen confiscated upon entry due to restrictions on large bottles and aerosol cans.
