BONNAROO 2025: Generational Appeal, A New Stage & Loads of GIZZ

King Glazard and the Lizard Wizard - Photo - Niyaz Pirani

BONNAROO! BONNAROOO!! BONNNNARRROOOOOOOOO!!!

The lineup for the 2025 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has arrived, bringing an incredibly vast list of generational appeal and genre diversity to The Farm (aka Great State Park) in Manchester, Tennessee, this summer, June 12-15. With their latest offering, Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment—the companies who co-founded and have co-produced the festival since 2002—are throwing down their most compelling offering of the post-pandemic era.

The lineup’s so good, this 16-time Coachella goer is seriously thinking about getting on a plane to experience what many of my friends have said is the best music festival in the United States.

Not to compare and contrast too much, but there are some things Bonnaroo does have over my beloved desert festival (4 days of music; the Superjam; Centeroo staying open; Where in the Woods) that I should definitely experience at least once … for science.

They’re also pioneering new tech by introducing THE INFINITY STAGE this year, billed as “The World’s Largest 360 Spatial Audio Experience.” I’m imagining a bigger version of Despacio—which is essentially one of the best traveling sound systems in the world—a dance floor surrounded by monolithic custom speakers created by James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) and the brothers Dewaele (Soulwax/2ManyDjs) that has popped up sporadically over the years as a feature at various large-scale music festivals. Extra props if, instead of hiding the DJs away in the booth like Despacio, they go full Boiler Room instead and each set goes off in the round.

And for the first time, Bonnaroo is featuring a ROO RESIDENCY (a ROO-sidency?), booking Australian rock sensation King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard for 3 sets over 3 days while they’re riding high on the buzz of their incredible 2024 U.S. tour. Calling it now, they’re going orchestra set, rave set, rock set.

So, what makes this year’s lineup the one for me? While they had me at 3 Gizz sets, there’s a depth across genres that is incredibly strong this year.

This lineup does it for me!

If we’re considering the weight of the names and their placement next to each other on the lineup, I’m considering this as 11 headliners: Luke Combs; Dom Dolla; Tyler, the Creator; John Summit; Glass Animals; Olivia Rodrigo; Avril Lavigne; Justice; Hozier; Vampire Weekend; & Queens of the Stone Age. That’s a long-ass list and a beautiful thing for a genre-hopping gormandizer such as myself.

Of those acts, there are several breakthrough billings. Dom Dolla and John Summit are leading the way for a new generation of EDM fans, and Olivia Rodrigo’s bringing her only festival headlining performance in North America this year (so far) to The Farm. Hozier getting his rightful ascension to festival headliner status after staying consistent for more than a decade and building a fervent fanbase in the process feels deserved and worth celebrating, as well.

You can also headbang with Megadeth! Drown your sorrows in Faygo with thousands of Juggalos and the Insane Clown Posse! Have a throwback cry to Jack’s Mannequin! Jam out with Goose! Dance your ass off with Sammy Virji!

AND ONE MORE TIME BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE REPEATED, FUCKING JUSTICE IS AT BONNAROO. The list goes on and on and on, and so could I.

Here are the rest of my thoughts and highlights on the lineup by day:

Insane Clown Posse / Courtesy of AtomSplitter PR

THURSDAY

Insane Clown Posse over everything. I’m ready to get weird and root beer’d. As an aside, can we get a tour with ICP and Clowncore? The world might heal.

Joey Valence & Brae has this vibe to their rap that hits me the right way; Green Velvet brings dance moves and THE PARTY; and Marcus King has sublime vocals. Also hoping Tracy Chapman shows up for “Fast Car” with Luke Combs so I can pay respects to a true queen.

FRIDAY

Tyler, the Creator continues his raging warpath as the Madonna of rap with his latest offering “Chromakopia,” another serving of persona-driven heartfelt confessions over sometimes-thunderous, sometimes-elegant productions. I’m dreaming of the mosh pit when he plays “New Magic Wand” and “Rah Tah Tah” most.

Glass Animals has one of the more unique sounds of any rock band of this generation, and always puts on an energetic, engaging show. Trippy DJ Tipper’s on his farewell run and, after some time away to regroup and release a new album, the downright lovely folkish-rockish-experimentalist Rainbow Kitten Surprise has finally returned to major festival lineups.

Also: Foster the People; JPEGMAFIA; Tape B; Levity; Mannequin Pussy; Aly & AJ (?!?); and Matt Champion of BROCKHAMPTON, who dropped a fantastic solo debut last year.

Justice / Julia Vincent / Sonic PR

SATURDAY

I have no problems admitting how much I really love pop music across decades. And what I love about Olivia Rodrigo is how she perfectly blends pop and pop-punk. Billing her on the same night (and hopefully, same stage) as Avril Lavigne is a dream for some, including me.

RL Grime is going to destroy The Farm with bass drops; Modest Mouse, ‘cause, obviously; and Action Bronson ‘cause he’s Anthony Bourdain with bars for days. Second-hand shoutout to Crankdat, too, who I was told was the best DJ my friend saw last year.

AND, might I add, FUCKING JUSTICE.

SUNDAY

If there’s a conflict between Queens of the Stone Age and Vampire Weekend, I’m not sure what to do. They’re both riding high on top-tier recent releases, and they both serve as a yin-yang of my mid-2000’s music tastes. Maybe split sets, but hopefully I’ll never have to find out.

Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” is guaranteed to be an all-time sing along, but the major highlights for me are Australian guitar-duo Royel Otis, Big Gigantic, Jack’s Mannequin, Saint Motel, and especially the Scottish electronic artist Barry Can’t Swim (scope “Sunsleeper” to catch a vibe).

If there’s an act that should be on my radar that isn’t, please let me know in the comments!