Bonnaroo on weather delay as lightning, rain sweeps through region

Bonnaroo is on a weather delay but will reopen soon.

Organizers evacuated Centeroo as lightning and rained moved into the area around Manchester and the festival just after 2 p.m.

Just before 4 p.m., organizers said the weather had passed, but Centeroo remains closed.

“Allow us some time to prepare to reopen, finalize the new performance schedule and then…get ready,” organizers said. “It’s going to be a very muddy and LEGENDARY final night on The Farm. Thank you for your patience.”

This is the first weather delay of the weekend.

The delay carries an especially cruel twist for rock band Aly & AJ.

The sister duo was slated to open Bonnaroo’s What Stage on June 14, marking their long-awaited return after severe weather canceled their 2025 appearance before they could perform. It happened again.

“The excitement’s been building for a year now because we didn’t get to play last year,” AJ Michalka told the Tennessean earlier in the morning under overcast skies. “We’re so pumped.”

Five minutes before they were set to take the stage lightning alerts spread throughout the Farm. The timing is particularly notable for AJ, who flew to Tennessee from France, where she is filming Season 4 of the hit HBO series The White Lotus, specifically to make the festival appearance.

“I flew in for this and the crew and cast were like, ‘You’re insane. You’re leaving France to head to Nashville for a show.’ And I was like, ‘Got to do what you got to do.'”

Bonnaroo began with harsh sun and heavy humidity. But that didn’t last long. A brief, but heavy bout of rain dumped enough water on festival grounds June 12 making them swampy. Attendees tramped through thick mud, some losing shoes in the suction.

The weather returned to a sunny, and largely cloudless disposition during the day June 13. Depsite the threat of lightning and rain, it wasn’t enough to shut down operations.

The four-day festival kicked off June 11 with headliner Skrillex. The Strokes, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Noah Kahan are also scheduled to headline the remaining three days. More than 150 acts total were scheduled to hit the stages across festival grounds.

What the Bonnaroo weather forecast shows for the rest of the festival

Thunderstorms are expected to continue throughout the remainder of the festivul until it ends June 14.

While none of the storms threaten severe weather, they are expected to dump heavy rain at times.

June 14: A high near 84 and a 90% chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Then mostly cloudy at night, with a low around 61 and a 30% chance of showers before 1 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bonnaroo weather delay pauses festival