Around this time each year begins the talk of the world known event held here in the little town of Manchester, Tennessee, known as Bonnaroo.
For those of you who may not know what Bonnaroo is, it’s a huge music festival that goes on for four continuous days. Bands of all types of genres come to perform, some more popular than others. With a mixture of music, overly hot temperatures, drugs, sex, and alcohol, what’s not to like about it? As a member of the Manchester community, I would like to address the negatives about this oh so popular Bonnaroo. When people talk about Bonnaroo, they only mention the positives and tend to push aside the details they like to consider unnecessary. Are those details really unnecessary when lives are at stake? Each year Bonnaroo attracts roughly 100,000 people, that number growing each year. No matter how much security or safety features you have involved, there is no way to guarantee the safety of an event being held on 700 acres of land. With the cause of a crowded town, tickets that are far too costly, unnecessary explicit content, and the risk of being around those involved with drugs and alcohol, is this event really worth it?
Bonnaroo, having such a large crowd, brings me to topic of the inconvenience it causes for those of us who actually live in Manchester. To begin, Manchester is not exactly the size town you would think it should be in order to hold 100,000 people at once. Everything of importance is along one main road and even that only includes a Wal*Mart, Food Lion, and a few random fast food places. Bringing that many people into the town causes nothing but chaos. The travels being done for those to arrive at Bonnaroo causes the interstate to be a complete mess. Traffic becomes backed up for miles. Unless planned ahead of time, any chance for the locals to be able to go anywhere out of town is not even an option. The stores are packed and often cause all the necessary supplies to run out by the first day. Most local families have learned what could be called “the survival guide to Bonnaroo,”stocking up on necessities before the crowds hit, others are not so lucky.
Thinking about all of the money spent on food alone brings up the realization of Bonnaroo being incredibly too costly. The tickets for Bonnaroo are priced anywhere from $200 to $700 dollars themselves. When adding up the costs for traveling, food, hotels, and the actual ticket to the event, it quickly becomes the same amount you could use to go on a vacation somewhere much more luxurious. Instead, the money is spent for a four day experience in farmlands with nothing but dirt and fresh, hundred degree, humid air. An author of cracked.com stated “Bonnaroo ticket prices are slowly increasing each year. By 2020 ticket prices are estimated to be $700, a college diploma and a mandatory organ donation.” Although this may be a slight exaggeration, it gets the point across. Port-o-potties, $7 showers, no air-conditioning, and not enough shelter are all inclusive, although the supply of these features is all very limited.
Bonnaroo may host several well-known bands but the shows easily become less enjoyable when having the scorching hot sun beaming down on you day after day. Water supply may be available but at the price of about $7 a gallon. Why not use the money to go to individual concerts of the main, head lining bands in a cleaner, air-conditioned, safer environment? If anything, it would at least guarantee far less nudity, which brings me to my next topic.
The amount of explicit content exposed at Bonnaroo is mind blowing. I’m sure to some it wouldn’t sound too bad, but unfortunately, nudity has no weight limit. When walking around the grounds, innocently trying to have a good time, there is no avoiding it. There are some images that just cannot be erased from the memory. For as many young kids that are admitted to this event, the nudity level is completely inappropriate. A blog author quoted the statement that “Yes ladies, when you bathe in the Bonnaroo fountain, those local creeps are all looking at you.” Not only is it inappropriate for young kids but it is completely disturbing for people of all ages. Having tents set up specifically for body painting just makes it easy and acceptable to walk around in your birthday suit. Not only is the nudity something to talk about, but the sexual content that is involved 50 percent of the time is just another factor to add in. The amount of skin that is exposed throughout the week is gross and can also easily ruin the musical experience that people go there for to begin with. I don’t think anyone could enjoy their favorite band quite as much as they should when being crowded in by sweaty, shirtless people. Some may say, if someone does not want to see such content than simply do not go to the event. A very legitimate statement I would agree with if the content stayed in Bonnaroo but that is not the case. The Bonnaroo goers, when not on the farmland, are wandering around the town wearing whatever they please. No one should want to or have to see the un-showered, naked bodies of human beings that most of the time, are intoxicated in some form or fashion.
Lastly and most importantly, the amount of drugs and alcohol involved in Bonnaroo can cause nothing but negative side effects. Bonnaroo is widely known for its “chill” atmosphere and the opportunity to have a good time. Easy access to illegal substances is dangerous whether you are the one using the substances or just an innocent by-stander. There have been a total of 10 reported deaths since Bonnaroo began, almost all having to with a mixture of heat exhaustion and some kind of illegal drug content such as marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms, etc. Carl Monzo, director of Bonnaroo's Emergency Medical Services, reported to the Tennessean that “in 2010, air-conditioned medical tents were taking in about 25 percent more people than in past years.” Not only have the family members of the deceased been affected but those of the community have been as well. Every heart is sorrowed when turning on the news and hearing of yet another life taken from something that could have been prevented. The statistics of 10 deaths since 2002 leads to the average of one death per year and the numbers only seem to be increasing.
Bonnaroo itself is not responsible for the actions of those who attend, but it is responsible for giving these people a place to behave in the way that they do. I'm not saying that all aspects of Bonnaroo are bad. I have many friends who attend every year and love every minute of it. This is just my opinion on why I have never had a desire to join the crowd and some points I believe all should consider.
