Two of Tennessee’s most popular music festivals—CMA Fest and Bonnaroo—won’t take place on the same June weekend in 2019, as they have for the past few years.
Nashville’s CMA Fest is scheduled for June 6–9, 2019, while Bonnaroo will materialize the following week, June 13–16, 2019.
Bonnaroo, which takes place in Manchester, Tenn., is approximately 65 miles southeast of Nashville. The two festivals draw tens of thousands of attendees each year (Bonnaroo: 65,000 in 2017; CMA Fest: 88,500 daily in 2016), usually forcing patrons—and artists—to pick one or the other when they take place concurrently.
This year’s Bonnaroo lineup only featured a handful of country stars—including Sturgill Simpson, Midland, Brothers Osborne and Ole Crow Medicine Show—while CMA Fest featured more than 300 country acts performing on 11 official stages.
Having the festivals on separate weekends may increase the number of country artists performing at Bonnaroo. We’ll have to wait until January for the Bonnaroo lineup announcement. Regardless, the news is great for all fans of music.
