- Billy Strings Reopens Chattanooga's Restored Tivoli Theatre
Billy Strings is reopening the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, a 105-year-old landmark that just finished a $75 million restoration. We sat down with Nick Wilkinson of the Tivoli Foundation to find out how it happened, why a city spends that kind of money on a theater, and how the live music business really works.
Billy plays two nights at the Tivoli (Oct. 20 and 21) in a room of about 1,600 seats, during IBMA week. Nick explains how the reopening came together, how the ticket lottery works, why tickets can't be transferred, and how the free block party outside works, with the show projected on giant LED screens outside the venue.
Then we get into the bigger picture: why it took so long, who paid for it, why touring is now how artists make a living, the "no runny eggs" rule that keeps big acts coming back, how Live Nation and Ticketmaster fit in, where ticket fees actually go, and what's next for concerts in Chattanooga.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Intro
(03:07) Interview: Nick Wilkinson, Tivoli Foundation
(04:12) Billy Strings and the Tivoli reopening
(11:28) Why the renovation took so long
(23:52) The music industry, no runny eggs and Live Nation
(44:44) Takeaways and festival news
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
CaveFest 2026 Recap: Live From The Caverns
Saving Moon River: How the Festival Overcame a Sunday Rainout
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Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E41 - 55m - Oct 20, 2026 - CaveFest 2026 Recap: Live From The Caverns
Live from The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, we recap CaveFest 2026 with our ticket winner, plus the venue, the music, and the camping.
Barry and Russ are joined by Bryan, back on the show after a couple of months, our bicoastal correspondent Elizabeth Thorpe, who flew in from Washington State for her third CaveFest, and Abby, the fan who won our ticket giveaway and is at her very first CaveFest!
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Hurricane Weekend at CaveFest
(03:37) Our Ticket Winner's First CaveFest
(06:03) The Caverns: Storm, Grounds & Vibe
(15:21) The Music, the Crowd & Camp Spirit
(23:00) Up Next: IBMA World of Bluegrass & Wrap-Up
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
How The Caverns Became Tennessee's Premier Music Destination
The Musician Who Plays Mushrooms
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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E40 - 29m - Oct 14, 2026 - Bourbon & Beyond 2026 Recap From Two Festival Veterans
Two festival veterans break down Bourbon & Beyond 2026 in Louisville: the crowd, the hotels, the VIP setup, the beer prices, and the weather.
Barry and Russ are joined by our senior and junior correspondents, Trevin Bernarding and David Champion, who go to several festivals every year. They review the festival from the gate to the stage, then compare it with the rest of the circuit and look ahead to 2027.
In this episode:
- What Bourbon & Beyond is like: an older crowd, lots of guitars, no DJ sets
- The hotel rule that surprised them, plus VIP and general admission
- The amusement park, festival beer prices, and "And Beyond" branding
- How cancellations, evacuations, and weather shape their festival plans
- Their best tips for first-timers and how they find new bands
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Intro
(03:12) Bourbon & Beyond 2026 Recap
(18:51) Hotels, VIP & Festival Comforts
(26:48) Planning 2027 & the State of Festivals
(38:20) Best Tips & Festival Discoveries
(46:01) Outro
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Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E39 - 46m - Oct 7, 2026 - The Musician Who Plays Mushrooms
How do you play a mushroom? This week we're joined by Tarun Nayar of Modern Biology, a Vancouver-based musician who uses bioelectric signals from mushrooms, plants, and other living organisms to create music. Using custom-built devices and synthesizers, Tarun translates biological activity into musical information, creating performances that blend science, technology, improvisation, and art.
We talk about how he discovered plant and mushroom sonification during the pandemic, the history of bioelectric music, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp's influence on generative music, and what we can expect when he performs in a cave at CaveFest next month. (get tickets here!)
Plus we catch up with Abby, the winner of our CaveFest ticket giveaway: a recent festival-goer who has several Bonnaroos and Shaky Knees under her belt, and will now be a first-time CaveFest camper! Abby shares her festival journey and why she's excited for her next adventure at The Caverns.
Finally, we preview some upcoming festival coverage in the coming weeks, and try to get to the bottom of why so many festivals this year are getting cancelled or disrupted because of weather.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Music made from mushrooms?
(04:08) Modern Biology's Tarun Nayar
(24:22) Abby's Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees & CaveFest journey
(36:50) Bourbon & Beyond and CaveFest preview
(38:15) Why festivals keep getting cancelled
(40:04) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Modern Biology LIVE @ Indian Summer Festival
@modernbiology101 on Instagram
Fripp & Eno - A Radical Representative Of Pinsnip - Paris (1975)
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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E38 - 40m - Sep 30, 2026 - We Got Evacuated at Shaky Knees 2026
The rain and heat at Shaky Knees 2026 did not stop Russ from having a good time in Atlanta! We catch up live from the hotel on Saturday morning and then the full recap in this episode: the heat, the lineup, and the Saturday storm and evacuation.
Hear about notable performances from Turnstile, Fontaines D.C., Geese, LCD Soundsystem, and Gorillaz who closed the fest out Sunday night, plus what it was like riding out the evacuation in downtown Atlanta.
Then we're joined by Scott Miller, one of the artists performing next month in October (get tickets here!) for a great conversation about songwriting, his history with The Caverns, and cows.
Headed to Hulaween? Use code THEWHATPODCAST for $20 off a four-day pass. https://thewhat.co/hulaween
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
Thumbnail photo: Roger Ho for Shaky Knees 2026
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(00:00) Intro
(10:19) Shaky Knees Day 1: Checking In From Atlanta
(22:36) Full Shaky Knees 2026 Recap: Heat, Rain & the Lineup
(26:33) Scott Miller Talks Songwriting and Cows
(43:37) Outro
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E37 - 44m - Sep 23, 2026 - Inside Bumbershoot: Where Music Meets DIY Art (and Wrestling)
Our bicoastal correspondent Elizabeth Thorpe is back, and this time she's breaking down Bumbershoot, the Seattle festival where music meets DIY art, animation, a fashion district, roller derby, and yes, actual wrestling.
Beth walks us through all of Bumbershoot: the lineup (Death Cab for Cutie, Turnstile, De La Soul, Bikini Kill, Orville Peck), what makes a city festival different from a camping one, and the outsider-arts culture that Bumbershoot still preserves, the same DIY spirit that gave rise to grunge. Plus, a look ahead to CaveFest (camping tips and what's new), a Shaky Knees preview, Hulaween, and some Chattanooga artists who just landed an NPR Tiny Desk concert.
We're giving away two tickets to CaveFest at The Caverns (October 10–11, camping included)! Details: https://thewhat.co/giveaway
If you don't win, get tickets to CaveFest here!
Headed to Hulaween? Use code THEWHATPODCAST for $20 off a four-day pass. https://thewhat.co/hulaween
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Beth's Back
(01:09) Win 2 Tickets to CaveFest
(02:18) Inside Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival
(26:54) Shaky Knees Preview
(29:04) CaveFest: Camping, Cold Weather & What's New
(46:11) Save $20 on Hulaween Tickets
(47:03) Chattanooga Artists on NPR's Tiny Desk
(48:37) Wrap-Up
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Two Festivals We're Hitting This Fall: Shaky Knees & CaveFest
CaveFest 2026 Ticket Giveaway: How to Enter
Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm
How Has Bonnaroo Changed? A Festival Photographer's View
After Bonnaroo: How to Choose Your Next Festival
Get $20 off Hulaween tickets with code THEWHATPODCAST
Isaiah Rashad: Tiny Desk Concert
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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E36 - 48m - Sep 16, 2026 - Two Festivals We're Hitting This Fall: Shaky Knees & CaveFest
Bonnaroo may be taking 2027 off, but festival season isn't over. This week Barry and Russ break down the two festivals they're hitting this fall, Shaky Knees in Atlanta and CaveFest at The Caverns, and share their tips for doing each one right.
One's a city festival, one's a camping festival, and they're very different experiences. We get into the Shaky Knees lineup (The Strokes, Turnstile, Fontaines D.C., Twenty One Pilots and more), how to handle a city fest (hotels, getting around, the stages), and what makes CaveFest special — the cave stage, the amphitheater, camping in October, and the lineup up at Pelham. Plus festival news, the Good Friends Music Festival in Manchester, and how we're all still keeping Manchester in our plans.
We're also giving away two tickets to CaveFest at The Caverns (October 10-11, camping included). Details in the episode and at thewhat.co/giveaway.
If you don't win, get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The Caverns
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Catching Up + Festival News
(04:04) Good Friends Fest & Manchester
(07:21) CaveFest Ticket Giveaway: How to Win
(09:00) Shaky Knees: The City Festival Guide
(16:43) CaveFest: The Camping Festival Guide
(33:00) What's Coming Up
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm
CaveFest 2026 Ticket Giveaway: How to Enter
How The Caverns Became Tennessee's Premier Music Destination
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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E35 - 34m - Sep 9, 2026 - After Bonnaroo: How to Choose Your Next Festival
No Bonnaroo in 2027? Here's how to figure out where to go instead. With Bonnaroo taking a fallow year, a lot of us are asking the same question: what festival do we go to now? So we brought in long-time friend of the show Liesl (@rockstarsweat), a festival superfan who's been to Bonnaroo, Pickathon, Glastonbury, Solid Sound and just about everywhere in between, to talk through how she actually chooses which festivals to attend.
Barry, Russ, and Liesl get into the real decision-making: lineup vs. community vs. cost, how the Glastonbury ticket lottery actually works, the difference between city and camping festivals, and why the fallow year might just open a door to something new. Plus, we open the show remembering Dolly Parton, and why she belonged at Bonnaroo.
Get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The Caverns
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Welcome Back, Liesl
(02:41) Remembering Dolly Parton
(13:12) Bonnaroo's Fallow Year
(16:46) Beyond Bonnaroo: Pickathon, Glastonbury & More
(21:05) How Do You Choose a Festival?
(23:31) How Glastonbury Tickets Actually Work
(27:36) What Bonnaroo's Year Off Means for Fans
(31:07) City Festivals vs. Camping Festivals
(36:40) Festival Bucket Lists
(38:00) CaveFest
(42:17) Festivals We're Hitting Next
(41:23) Going to Festivals Solo
(45:51) Wrap-Up
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E34 - 46m - Sep 2, 2026 - Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm
Bonnaroo is taking 2027 off, and we wanted to dig into what's next. This week we're joined by David Bruce (I Am Bonnaroo) and Ryan French, a Manchester city councilman and tourism official with a front-row seat to what a fallow year actually means for the town Bonnaroo calls home. We get into the economic ripple through Manchester, why Bonnaroo is the "bell cow" for festivals far beyond itself, what a year off does to the local businesses and community that depend on it, and why our guests are hopeful about 2028 and beyond.
Plus, Barry reflects on a full-circle moment: covering Bonnaroo in 2002 as a skeptical newspaper reporter, and getting quoted in Rolling Stone about its future 24 years later.
Get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The Caverns
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00:00) The News, One Week Later and a Rolling Stone Shoutout
(00:03:19) How We Got Here: From a 2002 "Hippie Fest" to Rolling Stone
(00:20:54) David Bruce & Ryan French Join
(00:27:41) Bonnaroo the "Bell Cow" and What It Means for Other Festivals
(00:35:14) What a Year Off Costs Manchester
(00:49:50) The Community Response and Keeping Bonnaroo Alive
(01:01:08) Looking Forward and Moving Ahead
(01:09:08) Reflecting on Past Cancellations
(01:13:07) Mini-Roos and 2027 Events
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Rolling Stone: Bonnaroo Taking ‘Much-Needed Year Off’ in 2027
Force Majeure with Jeff Becker
What Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a Podcast
Bonnaroo Cancels 2027: Our Live Reaction
Catching Up with I am Bonnaroo Creator David Bruce
How Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roo
Bonnaroo's Infamous "Squarch": The Full Story with Tim "Tuba" Smith
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E33 - 1h 15m - Aug 26, 2026 - Bonnaroo Cancels 2027: Our Live Reaction
We officially have confirmation on Bonnaroo's 2027 cancellation. We got together to share our initial reaction, and Barry literally pulled over on the side of the road to record this. As far as The What Podcast goes, we're still here every week and we'll have a deeper dive into this news next week.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy22m - Aug 21, 2026 - Is Hulaween Everything Bonnaroo Used to Be?
Is Hulaween everything Bonnaroo used to be? We put the question to John, our EDM and jam-scene correspondent, and his answer says a lot about how both festivals have changed.
John makes the case for Hulaween, String Cheese Incident's own festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, where the daily lineups just dropped. We get into what makes it different from Bonnaroo: the jam-forward lineup with an electronic edge, the six-hour String Cheese / My Morning Jacket / STS9 runs, and the secret sets where anyone might sit in: Goose turning up to play with Cheese, that kind of unplanned magic. It leads to a real conversation about whether Bonnaroo's special moments have started to feel scheduled instead of spontaneous, and John doesn't hold back, including some honest thoughts on this year's very EDM-heavy Thursday.
Plus: John recaps his own Bonnaroo 2026 (great, but different, and quieter than years past), we looks ahead to ShoalsFest October 3-4 in Alabama, CaveFest at The Caverns October 10–11 (get tickets here!), and take a look at the surprisingly free EDM lineup at our own River Games in Chattanooga.
Need Hulaween tickets? Save $20 on GA 4-day passes with code THEWHATPODCAST!
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
______
00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:24) Festival updates: CaveFest, 420 Fest, ShoalsFest, River Games
(00:09:22) EDM Correspondent John Joins the Show
(00:16:50) Hulaween Drops its Daily Linueps
(00:26:43) Comparing Hulaween to Bonnaroo
(00:35:44) John's Bonnaroo 2026: Great, But Different
(01:02:12) What's Next for The What Podcast
(01:09:01) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
How Has Bonnaroo Changed? A Festival Photographer's View
Kyle Hollingsworth Interview: String Cheese Incident, New Music & Craft Beer
Okay...We Were Wrong About Geese
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E32 - 1h 9m - Aug 19, 2026 - How Has Bonnaroo Changed? A Festival Photographer's View
How has Bonnaroo changed over the years? We asked someone with a rare vantage point — Elizabeth Thorpe, festival photographer and our West Coast correspondent, who's been going to Bonnaroo since 2004 and now shoots it from inside the photo pit.
Beth walks us through what the festival experience is really like from behind the lens: the "first three songs only" rule, why the pit is her happy place, and how Bonnaroo has evolved from a freewheeling field party into something bigger, busier, and more produced.
We also get into her recent run of festivals beyond Bonnaroo: Wilco's Solid Sound in Massachusetts (with a Mermaid Avenue set featuring Billy Bragg and a surprise Natalie Merchant appearance) and Pickathon out in the Oregon woods. Beth covered both for The What Podcast, and shares her photography throughout.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:48) 20 Years at Bonnaroo, From Superfan to the Photo Pit
(00:28:08) Solid Sound: Wilco's Own Festival in Massachusetts
(00:42:52) Pickathon: Eight Stages in the Oregon Woods
(01:06:54) Still No Dates for Bonnaroo 2027?
(01:08:57) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
What Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a Podcast
Flying to Bonnaroo: What You Actually Need to Bring
Bonnaroo 2026: Thursday Headliner Confirmed + Our Corona Capital 2025 Breakdown
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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E31 - 1h 9m - Aug 12, 2026 - What Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a Podcast
What do Bonnaroo fans actually want from a podcast? We surveyed our listeners — and 89% agreed on the answer. In this episode of The What Podcast, Barry, Bryan, and Russ break down the results of our listener survey: where you're really listening (YouTube is running away with it), how you found the show, and what content you want more of.
We also catch up on a busy stretch of festival season: the rain that hammered Lollapalooza and Hinterland, the pull of Pickathon out in Oregon, and a remembrance of Glen Hansard. Plus: which festivals YOU want us to cover next (Shaky Knees, Bourbon & Beyond, and a few surprises made the list), and a look at the flood of vintage Bonnaroo photo galleries taking over Reddit.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Intro
(01:08) Keith Richards & Our Bonnaroo Radio Takeover
(08:29) Jesse Welles in Asheville
(14:49) Lollapalooza, Hinterland, and Pickathon
(23:41) Remembering Glen Hansard
(27:40) The Survey: We Asked Why You Listen
(28:30) Where Do Bonnaroo Fans Actually Listen?
(30:41) 89% of Our Listeners Want This
(35:45) How You Actually Found Us
(40:53) Which Festivals Should We Cover Next?
(43:31) Your Comments
(50:52) The Bonnaroo Photos Reddit Loves
(55:56) Wrap-Up & Camp Nutbutter Memories
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Bonnaroo's Lineup Secrets, From a Booking Agent Named Keith Richards
Bonnaroo Radio Takeover ft. Noah Kahan, String Cheese Incident & More
Traveling to Bonnaroo: A Patreon Chat
It's Bonnaroo Week! Hype, Stories & Last-Minute Tips
St. Paul and The Broken Bones' Paul Janeway Got Peed on at Bonnaroo
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E30 - 56m - Aug 5, 2026 - Bonnaroo Radio Takeover ft. Noah Kahan, String Cheese Incident & More
The What Podcast took over Bonnaroo Radio in 2026! We present a two-hour special that aired during the festival, bringing together Noah Kahan, RÜFÜS DU SOL, String Cheese Incident's Kyle Hollingsworth, and the people who built and shaped Bonnaroo. Produced and packaged by Bryan Stone, and now collected here in full.
Spanning six years of interviews from 2019 through 2025, it's a cross-section of the show's history and how it's evolved — from Noah Kahan on songwriting to the origin story of how Bonnaroo launched, a conversation about sobriety at the festival, the wild backstory of Dancing Man Chris, and Kyle Hollingsworth on String Cheese Incident and his new solo record. Originally aired on Bonnaroo Radio, WFTZ 101.5 FM The Rooster.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00:00) Intro
(00:00:34) Noah Kahan on songwriting as therapy
(00:11:14) RÜFÜS DU SOL on how the pandemic rebuilt the band
(00:20:32) Tim "Tuba" Smith on running the festival & the Squarch saga
(00:48:33) Ken Weinstein tells Bonnaroo's origin story
(01:00:17) Patrick Whelan on Soberoo and finding support
(01:20:18) The surprising story behind Chris "The Dancing Man"
(01:39:45) Kyle Hollingsworth on String Cheese Incident and wild artist collabs
(01:59:18) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Noah Kahan on Mental Health and Allowing Himself to Be Honest
Trading Whiskey Shots for Ginger Shots: RÜFÜS DU SOL Joins The What Podcast
Bonnaroo's Infamous "Squarch": The Full Story with Tim "Tuba" Smith
Mapping Out the Highlights and Conflicts of the Bonnaroo 2024 Schedule
Lord Taco's Bonnaroo 2025 Picks and an Encounter with "The Dancing Man"
Kyle Hollingsworth Interview: String Cheese Incident, New Music & Craft Beer
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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy2h 0m - Jul 29, 2026 - Bonnaroo's Lineup Secrets, From a Booking Agent Named Keith Richards
We had the chance to sit down with Keith Richards this week. Not that Keith Richards — let's get that out of the way early. Our actual guest is the newly-named Head of Festivals at Ground Control Touring, an independent booking agency representing artists from Waxahatchee to Japanese Breakfast to Manchester Orchestra. He was named to the role this past January, Ground Control's first-ever Head of Festivals, and he joined us to pull back the curtain on how a festival lineup actually comes together.
We get into the questions we've always wanted answered: do artists really make more money at festivals versus arena tours? Is there a "cookie-cutter lineup" problem, or is that a myth? Why is developing a true headliner one of the hardest jobs in the industry right now? Keith also walks us through what it was like being on-site at Bonnaroo 2026 during the storm evacuation, riding it out alongside Bonnaroo's own team, and drops a list of up-and-coming artists he thinks are worth watching heading into next year.
Listen to this week's episode with Keith Richards here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Intro
(02:24) Meet Keith Richards (Not That One)
(07:06) How Booking Actually Works
(24:26) Keith's History with the Booking Industry
(30:16) Cookie-Cutter Lineups & the State of the Industry
(40:20) Bonnaroo Hasn't Gotten Old, You Have
(42:10) Artists to Watch: Who's Next?
(49:18) Not That Keith Richards (The Full Story)
(51:29) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Shaky Knees 2025 vs. IBMA Chattanooga: Live from the Red Carpet + Bilmuri Interview
Ground Control hires Keith Richards as head of festivals & Joy Hubbard as festival coordinator
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E29 - 52m - Jul 22, 2026 - We Filled Out Bonnaroo's 2027 Music Census
Bonnaroo puts out an official music census every year asking fans what they want to see next — so this year, we sat down together to answer every single question. We walk through it all: genres, headliners, comedy acts, late-night programming, the future of That Tent's new location, Bonnaroo Radio, and more. What do we agree on? What do we disagree on?
Before the census, we catch up on recent local trips, and break down the newly finalized Hulaween lineup. Plus: Billy Strings opens Chattanooga's newly renovated Tivoli Theater, and Reddit's already buzzing about 2027 Bonnaroo mock lineups.
NOW TAKING OUR OWN LISTENER SURVEY!
How did you find the show? What do you listen to us on? What do you want to hear more of? Take 2 minutes and help shape what we cover next: https://thewhat.co/survey
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00:00) Intro
(00:00:36) Catching Up: Recent Trips
(00:05:04) RIP Rick Williams: A Chattanooga Music Legacy
(00:06:43) Bryan's Sphere Anniversary & The Caverns
(00:10:25) Hulaween 2026 Lineup Reactions
(00:13:30) Billy Strings Opens the Tivoli Theater
(00:15:21) Bonnaroo 2027 Mock Lineups
(00:19:23) Bonnaroo's Official 2027 Survey Begins
(00:23:33) What Genre Do We Listen to Most?
(00:24:46) What Genre Needs More Presence at Bonnaroo?
(00:33:07) Should Bonnaroo Bring Back Comedy Acts?
(00:39:58) Headliners vs. Undercard: What Matters More?
(00:45:56) Does Bonnaroo Help You Discover New Music?
(00:50:18) Late Night Sets & Time Between Shows
(00:53:46) Bonnaroo in June vs. September
(00:54:10) How Important Is the SuperJam?
(00:54:57) Should Thursday Have More Stages?
(00:55:30) That Tent's New Location: Was It a Success?
(00:59:43) Grading Bonnaroo Radio
(01:03:09) Did Anyone Watch the Where Stage?
(01:05:16) Bonnie Roo's: The Farm's New Hangout Spot
(01:08:05) Who We Want at Bonnaroo Next Year
(01:08:59) Take Our Own Listener Survey
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Dead & Co. at the Sphere and Happy Landing at Bonnaroo 2024
Camping at Bonnaroo: Must-Know Updates and New Amenities for 2025
Church Boners React to Bonnaroo Ticket Contest Entries
The What Podcast Audience Survey
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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E28 - 1h 10m - Jul 15, 2026 - The Bonnaroo Yearbook Guy Is Now Bonnaroo Famous
Meet the man who's become a Bonnaroo legend, one signature at a time. Caleb Arias, creator of the Bonnaroo Yearbook, joins us for the third time to break down how his passion project exploded this year. What started as pitching strangers to sign a notebook is now three-hour lines, sold-out printed editions, and fans hand-crafting custom trinkets just for him.
Grab your own copy of the Bonnaroo Yearbook at bonnarooyearbook.com and use code THEWHATPODCAST for 50% off!
We get into the wristband smuggling caper, the moment Caleb revealed Bryan might have the most beautiful signature in the entire book (calligraphy pen and all), and what it's really like becoming a recognizable figure at a large music festival: including the sacrifices, the boundaries he's had to set, and why he stayed sober the entire weekend just to protect the project. Plus: a sneak peek at a possible Bonnaroo children's book starring his bearded dragon, Trogdor.
Listen to this week's episode with Caleb here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00:00) Intro
(00:00:32) Caleb, the Bonnaroo Yearbook Guy Returns
(00:02:14) The Wristband Heist & Getting to the Farm
(00:12:24) How the Yearbook Project Began
(00:15:47) Bryan's Calligraphy Pen & Inside the Book
(00:24:14) Becoming "Bonnaroo Famous"
(00:33:18) From Passion Project to Real Money
(00:36:09) Trogdor, the Children's Book & Music Highlights
(00:42:04) Chasing Sunrise Sets & Planning for Next Year
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
The Bonnaroo Yearbook: Capturing Festival Memories
@bonnarooyearbook on Instagram
How Bonnaroo Gives Back: Live from Planet Roo 2026
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E27 - 56m - Jul 8, 2026 - How Bonnaroo 2026 Survived the Storm (And Became Unforgettable)
Bonnaroo 2026 might have been the best one yet, and we are here to break down the entire weekend for you! We recap a festival full of serendipity: a surprise wedding in The Grove, an unforgettable run-in with singer-songwriter Jesse Welles on Shakedown Street, Bryan's first-ever Roo Run, and the Noah Kahan set and fireworks that closed it all out.
Looking behind the scenes, we also go deep on how Bonnaroo pulled it all off. After the rain, the mud, and a Thursday-night power outage, we've got details on all the improvements. 2,700 yards of mulch, new French drains, sump pumps and generators, and more! Plus a music rundown covering Wet Leg, Geese, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, GRiZ, Mount Joy, The Strokes, The Chats, and Blues Traveler, and a moment to remember Oliver Tree.
Thumbnail photo by Evan Brown
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00:00) The Best Bonnaroo Ever? Our 2026 Recap Begins
(00:00:44) 300 Episodes! How We Got Here
(00:01:46) The Bonnaroo Moments We'll Never Forget
(00:07:03) Ranking Bonnaroo 2026 Against 20+ Years
(00:14:00) Getting to the Farm: Setup, Common John & Jiffy Burger
(00:19:28) Thursday at Bonnaroo 2026
(00:25:15) The Thursday Night Power Outage
(00:29:54) Behind the Scenes: Dale Green's Bonnaroo Infrastructure Tour
(00:37:00) Did Moving the Stage to The What Field Work?
(00:40:45) What Bonnaroo Is Fixing for Next Year
(00:42:54) The Which Stage's Big Comeback
(00:44:29) Surviving Sunday: The Storm That Almost Won
(00:51:11) A Surprise Wedding in the Grove
(01:01:15) Bryan's Best Day Ever at Bonnaroo
(01:20:29) What's Next + Looking Ahead
(01:22:56) Remembering Oliver Tree
(01:26:50) Send Us Your Bonnaroo Pics!
(01:29:56) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
It's Called: Freefall (GRiZ Remix)
Okay...We Were Wrong About Geese
How Bonnaroo Gives Back: Live from Planet Roo 2026
Dr. Oliver Tree's Extremely Epic Art Grant for Baby Geniuses
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E26 - 1h 30m - Jul 1, 2026 - How Bonnaroo Gives Back: Live from Planet Roo 2026
We're back from The Farm! First, Barry and Russ give a quick recap of an unforgettable Bonnaroo 2026 (our full deep-dive recap is coming soon!). Then we bring you our live panel from the Planet Roo stage, where we sat down with the nonprofits behind Bonnaroo's charitable mission: Kelsey Dewald (Planet Roo / Bonnaroo Works Fund), David Conover (Grundy County Food Bank), Emily Torgrimson (Eat for Equity), Anna Sampson (We Are Neutral), and Nancy Tarr & Deborah Dunn (Well Dunn Foundation). From a $100,000 grant for local school mental health to rescuing 25,000 pounds of food a year — here's how Bonnaroo gives back, and how your ticket does so much more than get you through the gate.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
______
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:54) Quick Bonnaroo 2026 Recap
(00:17:18) Live from Planet Roo at Bonnaroo 2026
(00:24:43) Kelsey Dewald (Bonnaroo Works Fund)
(00:33:42) David Conover (Bonnaroo Food Sustainability)
(00:40:18) Emily Torgrimson (Eat for Equity)
(00:45:48) Anna Sampson (We Are Neutral)
(00:58:26) Nancy Tarr and Deborah Dunn (Well Dunn Foundation)
(01:08:40) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
The Bonnaroo Squeegee Guy Has a Story You Haven't Heard
Bonnaroo 2026: Meet the podcasters who talk ‘Roo year-round
Bonnaroo's New Festival Director Told Us What's Really Changing in 2026
Bonnaroo 2026 Recap: Roodemption!
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast
The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E25 - 1h 8m - Jun 24, 2026 - It's Bonnaroo Week! Hype, Stories & Last-Minute Tips
It's Bonnaroo Week! We all got together at Lo Main in Chattanooga to get hyped, swap stories, and run through our last-minute tips before we all head to the farm. Joining us: Austin (aka Squeegee Guy), Tara, and Cassie.
We get into going VIP, counting up our Bonnaroos (the math is harder than you'd think), taking family to the farm, staying safe out there, the shows we can't wait to see, and our final tips before we leave.
SEE US LIVE AT BONNAROO 2026!
The What Podcast is going LIVE at Bonnaroo 2026 on the How Stage inside Planet Roo, Thursday at 4PM. Come see us on stage with special guests and giveaways.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
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(00:00) Intro
(01:26) It's Bonnaroo Week!
(04:05) The What Podcast LIVE at Bonnaroo — Thursday 4PM, How Stage
(06:31) Is Bonnaroo VIP Worth It?
(10:39) How Many Bonnaroos Have We Done? (The Math Is Hard)
(16:50) Bringing Family & Kids to Bonnaroo
(31:46) Bonnaroo Safety & Harm Reduction Tips
(37:11) Must-See Bonnaroo 2026 Artists
(43:14) Last-Minute Bonnaroo Packing & Prep Tips
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
The What Podcast LIVE in Planet Roo, Thursday 4:00 PM
Bonnaroo Isn't About the Headliners Anymore: Brad Steiner's Don't-Miss Picks
What Everyone Forgets to Pack at Bonnaroo - and Where to Get It
______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts
YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/
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The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyS9E24 - 50m - Jun 8, 2026
