Bonnaroo To Require Vaccination Or Negative COVID Test

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.

Bonnaroo has joined the list of festivals requiring a COVID vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend.

The Nashville festival announced the new rule for its September festival on Tuesday. Railbird festival in Lexington, Kentucky, which features My Morning Jacket and Dave Matthews Band, will enforce a similar rule for its event from Aug. 28-29. As will Jeffersonville, Indiana’s Abbey Road on the River, Beatles tribute festival.

Bonnaroo attendees who are not vaccinated are being asked to wear masks at the festival and obtain a negative COVID test within 72 hours of arriving. Railbird’s requirement is the same, although it clearly instructs attendees who are unvaccinated to wear a mask. Those who are vaccinated are asked to bring a mask, too, but they won’t be required to wear one outdoors.

To avoid having to test negative for COVID before going to Bonnaroo, attendees must receive their last shot of Moderna or Pfizer or their single Johnson and Johnson shot by Thursday, Aug. 19.

“Dear Bonnaroovians,” said the festival in its announcement. “As we are all very excited to be back together again in just a few short weeks we wanted to share an important update that will require us all, as the Bonnaroovian Code says to ‘Play as a Team.’”

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Bonnaroo was canceled in 2020. This year, it takes place Sept. 2-5.

The same company that owns Bonnaroo also owns Forecastle. But AC Entertainment declined to reschedule Forecastle for 2021, instead pushing it to Memorial Day weekend, 2022.

Bonnaroo’s schedule is set to be announced this Thursday.

Louisville’s Danny Wimmer Presents music festivals — Bourbon & Beyond, Hometown Rising and Louder Than Life — were narrowed down to one this year, Louder Than Life, scheduled for Sept. 23-26.

So far, Danny Wimmer Presents has not announced a vaccination or mask requirement for Louder Than Life, featuring Metallica, Nine Inch Nails and Snoop Dogg. The company says it will “follow all required COVID-19 safety guidelines” and provide ticket holders with information of any enhanced safety requirements as the festival date approaches, according to the Louder Than Life website.

The Kentucky State Fair is also hosting a major concert series this summer, but, so far, it is only requiring attendees to wear masks to its indoor attractions. The concerts, which go from Aug. 9-29 and feature acts including White Reaper and Ginuwine, are outdoors.

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