Bonnaroo kicks out the jam (bands) as hip-hop and pop dominate an event that last year featured two nights of Phish.
Bonnaroo just took a DNA test and found out it's not that Superfly jam band festival any longer.
In its first year since Live Nation's talent buyer team took the reigns of the event, the June 12-14 Manchester, Tenn. festival has taken a hard left turn away from its jam band roots with a 2020 lineup that's both fearless and contemporary, with one of the biggest nights of the festival, Saturday, headlined by Lizzo, nominated for eight Grammys in 2020 for her hits like "Truth Hurts," "Juice" and "Jerome."
Lizzo is the first woman to headline the long-running festival, which will also be headlined Friday night by Tool and Sunday night by Australian rock band Tame Impala. That's a big departure from last year when Phish opened and closed the festival at the Great Farm in Manchester. Founded in 2002 by Superfly and AC Entertainment, Live Nation acquired Bonnaroo in 2015 and notified Superfly last year that the global concert giant would exercise a buyout clause in the agreement to purchase the rest of the festival.
The 2020 lineup is decidedly more contemporary and urban, with Run the Jewels and Megan Thee Stallion performing on the top tier of the first night, DaBaby, Kevin Gates and Nelly (who is playing his 2000 album Country Grammar) on Saturday (June 13) and Young Thug and SAINt JHN performing Sunday.
The closet thing to a jam band on the top tier of the lineup is Oysterhead, the impromptu rock supergroup featuring Phish guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio, Primus bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, and ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland Rounding out the top tier of the lineup is Miley Cyrus, Bassnectar and The 1975 on Friday, Flume, Tenacious D, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit on Saturday and Lana Del Rey, Vampire Weekend, Leon Bridges,Grace Potter, Flogging Molly and Rezz on Sunday.
Tickets for Bonnaroo will go on sale Thursday, Jan. 9 at 12 noon Eastern. Layaway tickets and car camping tickets will also be available. See the full lineup and learn more at bonnaroo.com/tickets.