By: Makaylee Hall 

“Want to cover Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival?” I looked down at my phone and immediately responded to my boss, “Well, duh!”

Any student in my position would love the opportunity to work behind the scenes at one of the biggest music festivals in the country. Being able to go to Bonnaroo with Middle Tennessee State University’s student social team gave me a foot in the door when it came to gaining hands-on experience in my field of study. 

At the same time, going to Bonnaroo as a first-timer pushed me a little outside my comfort zone. Since I had never been to a music festival before, stepping into an environment as big as Bonnaroo was both thrilling and intimidating, especially since I did not know what to expect.

Day 1 of Bonnaroo 

I met the Bonnaroo team at the Office of News and Media Relations on campus to get our string bags filled with shirts for the weekend. After changing into my MTSU True Blue Roo shirt, I was ready to tackle day one.

We took a group picture, packed into the van, and hit the road to Manchester, Tennessee, for the first day of Bonnaroo. On the way to The Farm, we made a pit stop to pick up our wristbands for the weekend, which gave us access to the Media Tent and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the festival.

Once we arrived at The Farm, we walked over to The Tent to meet other MTSU students who were camping on-site. We went behind The Tent where students were getting prepared, and before starting the day, we took our traditional fisheye circle group picture with all of the students and staff involved in Bonnaroo 2026.

After that, students began setting up, and the journalists across The Farm officially began spreading. Despite the intense heat, everyone stayed focused and didn’t let it slow us down.

Our job on day one as the social media team was to record a news package for WKRN-TV’s “Local on 2” show. Watch it here! As someone who had never officially reported before, the experience was very eye-opening, and I enjoyed every second of it.

During the package, I interviewed Sidelines students about their Bonnaroo experience, along with other topics related to the festival that weekend. After wrapping up our interviews and finishing our coverage for the day, we were ready to head back to Murfreesboro.

Day 2 of Bonnaroo 

Although The Farm was fairly quiet on day one, day two looked completely different. The grounds were filled with fellow Roo attendees dressed in their festival outfits, ready to make countless memories throughout the weekend.

When we arrived at The Farm, we headed straight to the Media Tent, where we had a designated locker to store our belongings for the weekend. Outside the tent was a shaded seating area where media staff could relax and recharge, along with coolers filled with free canned water, which was much needed during the hot weekend.

Inside, there was an enclosed area with air conditioning and seating. This was where many students and media staff spent time working on their journalism duties throughout Bonnaroo.

Before starting the day, the team and I made a checklist of everything that needed to be completed. This helped us stay organized and made sure we stayed on track with what needed to be done and posted on MTSU’s official platforms. 

Once we got settled, I started capturing B-roll for the news package we worked on the day before. It was essential to capture footage of attendees to effectively convey the energy and atmosphere of The Farm.

After getting the B-roll we needed, we shifted our focus to capturing footage of The Tent where MTSU students were actively covering a show and had the opportunity to work 20 to 25 shows throughout the weekend. Once we gathered plenty of videos and photos for reels, stories, and other content, we were ready to wrap up the day and prepare for the longer days ahead.

Day 3 of Bonnaroo 

When we got to The Farm on day three, the team and I wanted to finally explore since we had not really gotten the chance to yet. We spent time checking out the vendors, which also resulted in us getting a few freebies, along with the concessions and tasty lemonade, which is definitely something you want to prepare for during the weekend.

Food at Bonnaroo was a bit pricey, so I made sure to bring extra snacks and water. However, the lemonade was to die for and was the perfect drink for a hot summer day.

We also got to see the famous Ferris wheel and the front entrance where everyone takes pictures. After that, we spent the rest of our time exploring the different stages and everything else The Farm had to offer.

At one of the stages, Yungblud was performing and had a huge crowd gathered around him. I had never heard of him before, but seeing his performance was a really cool experience, especially since it is not the type of music I normally listen to.

After getting all of our content, interviews with MTSU students working, and personal photos around The Farm, we headed back toward the Media Tent and got to watch Jesse Murph perform. While watching her set, Yungblud came to a side stage next to where she was performing and was interviewed by Disney+ and Hulu.

We got surprisingly close and were able to capture some great photos of his interactions with fans. After watching both artists, we decided to hit the road and get some rest, knowing we still had a couple more days on The Farm ahead of us. 

Day 4 of Bonnaroo 

As we headed into our final days at Bonnaroo, I did not want the experience to end. Once we got settled at the Media Tent, the team and I reviewed our shared notes and TikTok inspiration to organize our plan for the day and make sure we captured all of the content we wanted.

Throughout the day, we worked on creating TikToks, conducting interviews, and posting Instagram stories. Once we wrapped up our content, we headed over to watch DJ Trixie Mattel perform. It was a really fun set, and the overall vibe of the performance was unlike anything I had experienced all weekend.

Not long after, Waylon Wyatt performed, which ended up being one of my favorite performances of the weekend. He was entertaining, and it was nice to hear a little country music mixed into the festival lineup.

Later that night, MTSU video and audio students began getting set up for the SuperJam featuring Kesha and several other artists. It was one of the biggest productions MTSU worked on all weekend, making it exciting to watch everything come together behind the scenes.

On our way to SuperJam, we also ran into a local influencer, Lily Claire, near the Media Tent. She was so kind and took the time to chat with us for a few minutes. It was one of those moments that reminded me how many people in the media industry pass through the Media Tent. You never know who you might see or run into while covering Bonnaroo.

While waiting for the show to start, the team and I decided to finally grab a real meal after spending most of the day surviving on snacks and water. I ended up getting pizza, and the slice was much bigger than I expected.

After eating and finding a spot in The Tent, we began capturing content of students preparing for the show. It was exciting to see everyone working behind the scenes while the audience eagerly waited for the performance to begin.

Once Kesha took the stage, she performed many of her iconic early 2000s hits that brought back so much nostalgia. Throughout the show, she brought out Del Water Gap, Wyatt Flores, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and several other surprise guests. Watching artists from different genres come together to perform songs that so many people grew up listening to made the experience feel incredibly special.

SuperJam was one of my favorite performances because of the variety of artists involved. Kesha changed outfits several times throughout the show, which really reflected her personality, and hearing so many different artists perform songs you do not hear live very often made the performance even more memorable.

As the show came to an end, “Purple Rain” began playing just as a light rain shower started falling. It honestly felt like perfect timing. We made our way out of the tent with the song playing in the background, and on our walk back to the Media Tent, we passed Teddy Swims performing. It was the perfect ending to a day filled with unforgettable performances.

Day 5 of Bonnaroo 

It was the last day of Bonnaroo, and there was so much to look forward to with some of the festival’s biggest artists performing that night. Although it would end up being our longest day on The Farm, it was completely worth getting to experience everything from day to night.

By the final day, we did not have as much content left to create since we had already produced so many TikToks throughout the weekend. Our main responsibilities were to conduct a couple more interviews and keep our Instagram stories updated throughout the day.

Not long after getting settled at the Media Tent, we had to evacuate because of severe weather. The rain was coming down like cats and dogs, and before long, Bonnaroo started turning into what many call “MudRoo.” With the rain pouring down and the grounds becoming muddy, we had no choice but to head back to our cars. By the time I made it to the car, my shoes and socks were completely soaked from trekking through the rain.

During the rain delay, we made the best of it by grabbing McDonald’s and stopping at Walmart so I could buy a new pair of shoes and socks. It definitely was not how I imagined spending part of my last day at Bonnaroo, but I would much rather be comfortable than spend the rest of the night walking around in wet shoes.

Once we got the green light to return, we headed back to the Media Tent and got ready to watch Audrey Hobert and Del Water Gap perform. The sun started to come back out, and we knew Bonnaroo was not over just yet.

Seeing Audrey Hobert perform was just as fun as she looks on social media. She knows exactly how to entertain a crowd and put on a great show. Del Water Gap performed shortly after, and it was one of those performances that was even better live than I expected.

After watching the performances, we made our way back to The Tent to watch and capture content of MTSU students working one final show before our time at Bonnaroo came to an end. As the evening approached, it was finally time for Noah Kahan, Role Model, and Kesha to take the stage. I honestly could not decide which performance I was most excited to see.

You could definitely tell it was the final night because The Farm was packed with even more people than the previous days. We found our spots to watch Noah Kahan and Role Model, and both performances lived up to the excitement. Role Model brought incredible energy to the stage, while Noah Kahan’s music felt much more personal and emotional. I made sure to capture as many photos and videos as I could to send to my family and make them a little jealous.

Before long, it was time to head back to the Media Tent to empty our lockers before they closed. Noah Kahan was still performing in the background while Kesha’s set could be heard from another stage. I took one last look around The Farm, trying to soak in every moment before the weekend came to an end.

As I scanned my wristband to enter and leave the Media Tent for the final time, it really hit me that Bonnaroo was over. We walked back to the car with Noah Kahan’s music echoing across The Farm. While we were sad that the weekend had come to an end, we were also proud of everything we had accomplished together.

Reflecting on Bonnaroo 2026

My time at Bonnaroo was nothing short of bittersweet. Although I would most likely never attend as a general admission guest, I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to cover the festival with MTSU’s student social media team. Getting to experience Bonnaroo from a media perspective showed me how much work goes into making a weekend like this happen.

Behind every performance, interview, and piece of content is a team of people who have spent months preparing for this one weekend. Bonnaroo is fun, thrilling, exhausting, muddy, and everything in between, but seeing all of the hard work come together makes it completely worth it. 

Throughout the weekend, I found myself becoming more confident in my abilities as a storyteller, reporter, interviewer, and content creator. My passion for social media and journalism has grown even more because of this opportunity, and I am excited to continue building on the skills I gained at The Farm.

MTSU has given me opportunities that have allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and build my portfolio through real experiences. I cannot wait to take what I learned at Bonnaroo and apply it to my future career. Until then, I will be counting down the days until the next Bonnaroo. I am one happy Roo and incredibly grateful to have been part of such a memorable weekend.

Makaylee Hall is an advertising major and is a member of the Student Voice Team for the Office of News and Media Relations.