From the camping aspect, volunteering, exploring and the festival itself, there were many moments I will never forget. I’m so happy I took the chance to finally go to one of the best music festivals in the country- all of the lists, preparation and driving was totally worth it. Volunteering was the best decision I could have made, and I now understand why people flock to Bonnaroo religiously year after year. It was one of the happiest and prettiest places I have been to thus far. Here is a list of my top moments of Roo in no particular order

1. U2:

I did not expect this year’s big headliner to be the best show I saw at Bonnaroo, but it was, hands down. Friday night, I got a pretty good spot with my friends close to the front. A red light bathed the stage and Bono emerged, igniting the crowd with “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”

The classic Irish band then performed the entirety of their famed Joshua Tree album in honor of its 30th anniversary. Even though the group has clearly aged, they still performed as if they were in their prime. It was a pure example of what iconic rock and roll really is, and Bono’s vocals sounded beautiful. Large screens brought the songs to life with vivid images and original photography.

The crowd and Bono’s words of peace regarding the state of the world, women, and the recent attacks in Manchester came together to truly solidify in my mind what Bonnaroo is really about: radiating positivity.

The whole experience was unforgettable, and I surprised myself with how many U2 songs I actually knew. The band closed out the stellar performance with a few more of their hits, and even a snippet of “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

2. Meeting Big Freedia/ her secret show:

Through volunteering, I worked behind the scenes at the catering tent where artists and their crews ate their meals, and because of this I was able to meet some pretty cool people, including New Orleans’ very own Queen of Bounce. I talked with Big Freedia and her posse about how much I enjoyed their music and how I was from New Orleans myself. Late Saturday night I also happened to end up at one of her secret performances — it was great to hear music often limited to New Orleans being played on a farm in Tennessee so out of the blue.

3. Anjelique Kidjo’s “Remain in Light” performance:

I didn’t originally plan on seeing this show, but after my friend brought me here by chance I was so glad he did. I really like the Talking Heads, and to hear such an interesting interpretation of their album “Remain in Light” was really spectacular. Angelique Kidjo brought her rhythmic voice, soul, colorful patterns and wonderful band to bring the Talking Heads to life in a way that I never thought possible. She even came into the crowd at one point since it was a pretty small group, and everyone went nuts. She finished off the show with a rendition of another Heads’ classic, “Burning Down The House”.  

4. High-fives:

Not to be cliche, but high-fiving hundreds of strangers at such a happy festival really brightens your whole weekend. The main theme of Bonnaroo is positivity, and everyone seems to go along with it perfectly. Everywhere you go people smile and high-five you, and it was really awesome to be apart of this community bigger than yourself at an event with such great music and memories.

5. Ferris Wheel:

My friends and I made it a point to not miss out on riding the huge Ferris Wheel on the fest grounds, and it was totally worth it. Being able to see far out over the whole stretch of farmland that makes up Bonnaroo during the “Golden Hour” sunset is something I will never forget.

6. Red Hot Chili Peppers:

I am a pretty big Chili Peppers fan, and they were a huge reason why I decided to come to Bonnaroo this year in the first place. Early Saturday morning I heard Anthony Kiedis and the other members of the band soundchecking, and I could not contain my excitement for the show later that night. My friends and I waited to get as close to the front as we could, and it was completely worth it. The Chili Peppers completely rocked their show, with a setlist comprised of all their best hits, as well as a few new ones.

Flea, the bassist, and Josh Klinghoffer, the guitarist, were lighting up the stage with their effortless jamming, and Chad Smith on drums was also giving it his all. Anthony’s smooth vocals also contributed to hands down the best Chili Peppers show I’ve seen so far. They all seemed genuinely excited to be performing and were feeding off the crowd’s insane energy. At one point Flea even came out doing a handstand. Some highlights of the show were “Soul to Squeeze” replacing “Under the Bridge” in their setlist, and a cool cover of Funkadelic’s “What is Soul?” Between U2 and RHCP, this year’s headliners were the best.
7. The Roo Chute:
I had heard about the Roo Chute in the beginning of the week upon my arrival in Manchester, but I didn’t ever expect to come in contact with it. Remember those large, rainbow-colored parachutes you played with in kindergarten? Well some dedicated Bonnaroovians bring huge versions of those into the fest and people dance under them during shows, and use the Roo Chute to connect with other fest-goers.
My friend and I were exhausted after a packed night of shows on Saturday, and came across a group of people holding a Roo Chute. We were asked to help them carry it around, and happily obliged, not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into. We ran around clutching this chute all over the fest grounds with a group of strangers, but it turned out to be one of the best moments of Bonnaroo. All of us coming together under this parachute and working together to move in cohesion is, in a way, what Roo is all about.