Question for Bonnaroo Alumni

[kosmo vinyl]

Thinking about going to the festival this year and was wondering if it's as really hot and humid as I've heard.  Is it unbearable so?  Is there any shade at all?  Does it cool down at night?  Just curious...

[thingsfallapart]

It's pretty fucking hot.  Like, it'll almost definitely be over 90 every day.  There's no really that bad humidity, in fact if it doesn't rain the dust and dryness is a big factor.  For me it's not unbearable because I like the heat (and the psychedlics...) but it is scorching.  Not really a lot of shade I guess, and the nights are slightly cooler (but still very hot).  The bottom line is that it's undoubtedly warm, but it's not even a factor I personally consider when deciding whether or not to go.  The atmosphere I think is well worth it.

[gloriaabortion]

I'm pretty sensitive to extreme heat/humidity so I was down and out for a while last year even after drinking plenty of water.  It will cool down a bit at night but warm right back up at 7 am.  There are shaded areas all over the place, like under tents and some of the smaller stages as well as a 24 hour air conditioned movie theatre tent.  There are also misting tents and a big water fountain so you can cool off if needed.
 
 For me, it sucked but I'm making the trip out again this year.  I'd definitely recommend going.

[Chulahoma]

I went to Bonnaroo two years ago.  My friend and I pitched a tent, which later became flooded with an inch of rain from the first morning.  I ended up sleeping in my car the rest of the trip with the flooded tent.   The weather was indeed very hot, but it tends to cool down at night. There wasn't much shade throughout the camp grounds though some of the stages are planted nicely under huge roofs.  If you booze it up all day then you'll have a problem, which will most likely result in you missing most of the festival, just like my friend.  It's completely worth it.  If you haven't been before, I highly recommend it.

[lukiedookie89]

This year will be my first, I can't wait.

[paul3mac]

We brought one of those pop up gazebo tent thingsâ?¦ highly recommended to take a break from the heat.  Its hot during the day, but I donâ??t think its unbearable.  Just be prepared to drink lots of water, take breaks, try to get in one of the AC tents, etc.  I thought the weather was great at night, but what I found the absolute worst was when the sun comes up, it seems it is immediately 90 degrees, making your tent an oven.  You have to wake up, there's no way of sleeping in.

[kosmo vinyl]

Thanks for the comments so far... uhhhhh i'm very heat sensitive as well and you are confirming exactly what i fear might happen to me... but we'll see as i'm still on the fence regarding this one.

[sonickteam2]

i went and being from canada, i HATE the heat!!!
 
   i didnt like bonnaroo, for many reasons actually.
 
 
 1.  its hot, very hot.  i didnt mind TOO much cause i love festivals and spent 8 years of my life in sweatbox nightclubs.  my girl didnt like it and we missed more than a couple bands cause we had to take breaks.
 
 2.  it was just me and my girl, and we didnt really seem to enjoy meeting the people we met there, so it was maybe not as fun, looks like most people went in large groups.  
 
 3.  getting a good spot wasnt too too hard, but it did mean standing still, baking in the sun for at least 45 minutes before the band even came on.
 
 
 4.  i hate camping, i dont like it when i do have personal space and its not 90 degrees by 8am.
 
   - all in all, unless the lineup is undeniably killer for you and you cannot miss those bands, i'd pick Lolla or Chella both are milder in temperature (believe it or not) and have easier hotel options and lets face is , SoCal and Chicago kick way more ass than, tennessee.
 
   thats my review, and i'm sticking to it.
 
 
 oh, also, fyi, my Bonnaroo review is 4 years old.

[alex]

The Tennessee valley in mid-june is extremely hot and humid...and you don't get much of a break at night either, before the sun comes up and it starts all over by 7:30am.
 
 They do have water attractions, and a few tents that have AC...shade is really hard to find though.
 
 However, the lineup and the general atmosphere is worth it.  We don't do drugs or really drink and still had alot of fun.  Had one minor overheating incident which was fixed by going out and sitting in the car with the AC running for about 15 minutes, but other than that the heat was worth it.

[walkonby]

one thought always makes the difference:
 
 drugs take off the edge of reality's problems.

[palahniukkubrick]

Last year was hot, but I don't think it made the day too unpleasant. Drinking lots of water helps, and it's free, which is nice.
 
 At night it is cooler, although the first morning I woke up, pulled my legs out of my sleeping bag and found that they were soaked with sweat. Every night after that I slept on top of my sleeping bag.
 
 If you find yourself longing for air-conditioned relief head over to the comedy tent. It is the only place I remember with chairs, so you can rest your feet as well.
 
 Anyway, despite the conditions, Bonnaroo is a fun experience.

[Chulahoma]

if you haven't been to bonnaroo before, i'd say give it a shot since everyone's experience of the festival is unique.

[Arlette]

Kosmo,
 
 Heat is bad, but if you're smart about it, not too bad.  I won't repeat what others said, but FYI:
 
 - wear a hat. I never wear hats, but a cowboy-style hat made a huge difference.  Humidity is not as bad as direct sun.
 
 - for shows you aren't totally into, hang in the tent in the middle area. Way up front is way too hot, but in the middle area is a nice breeze and no sun.
 
 - hang in the beer tent in Centeroo between bands.  Great people, no sun.
 
 Logistics is one of the best things about Bonnaroo.  No stage is too far from the other, so there are no million mile walks.  If you're camping, that might suck.... still don't know how to post pictures here, but look at this:
 
 http://www.carlottapleasureclub.com/sow/jm_aerial07_6-18-06_jm_edit.JPG
 
 Main stage on the left, upper right/left are VERY FAR campgrounds.  Get a hotel, it's not too late.  That makes a huge difference.  
 
 Unsolicited opinion:  one of the best things about Bonnaroo is that the bands you most want to see probably (non-headliners) consider this a huge gig so give it their all.  The Police?  Yea, it will be great.  But I can't wait to see Cold War Kids (or whomever) when they walk out on stage and see about 30-50,000K people waiting to see them.  The newer bands do the best shows of their lives.  Also, they are required to play for about 90 minutes.  No 60 minute sets like in clubs.
 
 Go, enjoy.  Maybe I'll see you there.  I can't wait to return.