The Best of Bonnaroo 2018

See what you missed (or relive the magic) from the festival's 17th year in Manchester, Tennessee.

By: Jessica Yonker

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Photo By: Jessica Yonker

Turn on the Lights

This year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival boasted new campground experiences, the return of the fire-breathing Kalliope stage, and standout performances from Anderson .Paak to The Killers, proving this fest is still a summer classic.

Grammy-nominated rap legend Future brought a little piece of Atlanta to Tennessee on the festival's closing night, with Bonnaroo superfan Chance the Rapper just absolutely dancing his heart out in the pit.

The Arch

Walking through the Arch is a right of passage.

"You're Giving Me Black Swan, You're Giving Me Pride"

Whatever Hayley Williams, lead vocalist of the band Paramore, is giving us we are here for it. You can watch a quick tutorial of how she got her rainbow look for the band's Friday evening Bonnaroo performance right here.

Head's in the Clouds

Paramore felt right at home on the Farm. The band was originally formed just down the road from Manchester in Franklin, Tennessee. Bonnaroo was the first stop on their "After Laughter" summer tour.

High-Five Friday

The Bonnaroovian attempted to break a high-five world record this year, posting up under the Arch to high-five nearly 2400 people in under an hour.

The Wristbands of Festivals Past

Like most regulars, we made fast friends with someone sporting a collection of festival wristbands on a carabiner. We regret not asking him how he got all of his wristbands off without cutting them.

What So Not Live

Australian producer What So Not was joined on stage by guitarist Trev Lukather (son of Toto's Steve Lukather) for a live performance early Sunday morning.

The Fountain

A week before Bonnaroo 2018 a series of storms soaked the Farm, making festivalgoers worry they were in for "Mudaroo." In true Tennessee fashion, the storms stopped in time for the festival grounds to dry up and temperatures were, as usual for Bonnaroo, in the 90s. Even Sunday morning's heavy rain showers quickly gave way to sunshine, sending everyone trekking through mud to take a dip in the Fountain.

American Teen

Twenty-year-old singer-songwriter Khalid came out dancing and never stopped.

Dance Dance Revolution

Khalid's DDR-inspired visuals create a cool glow around the band.

The Ferris Wheel

It's not a trip to Bonnaroo until you've ridden (or at least snapped a selfie in front of) the iconic ferris wheel, preferably right at sunset.

Where's Waldo?

If you're with a big group, a totem is well worth the sore arm. (Tip: use it as a fan. You're welcome.) We love this Afroed take on Waldo.

Into the Great Wide Open

Sheryl Crow, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Brett Hite of Frenship (pictured) and more gathered at the This Tent for a superstar tribute to Tom Petty.

Hamageddon and BaconLand

Herni the Pig, an enormous, fire-breathing metal pig, serves as the center for everything barbecue. Two words: bacon flight.

The Garden at Planet Roo

Planet Roo and the Solar Stage offer festival goers a chance to relax, get in touch with nature, participate in morning yoga sessions and — okay, fine — sample the latest and greatest IPAs.

Gnome on the Move

We first encountered this ombre gnome chilling in the garden at Planet Roo. Gnome Roo Mars had directions on his back instructing festivalgoers to take him on adventures throughout the festival. The next time we saw him, he had made some new friends and was front row at The Other stage.

Amadou & Mariam

Amadou and Mariam met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, both having lost their vision at a young age. They eventually married and started making music together. Their Bonnaroo stop comes in the middle of their North American tour, just before they jet off to Europe.

Glowed Up

Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals arrived to a packed crowd at the What Stage Saturday night.

Now Dance

Anderson .Paak's energy was contagious — the set quickly became one of the most talked-about performances of the entire weekend.

Drum Solo

Singer, songwriter, rapper and drummer? It's no wonder Anderson .Paak is rising to the top of the charts.

Comedy Lineup

The Comedy Tent didn't return this year. Instead, in an attempt to make "comedy more accessible and fun for everyone," the lineup was split between the tent stages, Plaza 7 and Jake's Christmas Barn. Adam DeVine performed short, 15-minute sets between acts (sporting a Bonnaroo-issued fanny pack, of course).

Raveman

Faster than an unexpected bass drop! More perler bead necklaces than a Kandi kid! Able to hop up on his friend's shoulders in a single bound! It's Raveman! And he's got serious dance moves.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Close your eyes and you'll almost forget you're at Bonnaroo — Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue brought all the magic of Bourbon Street to Tennessee.

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

Troy Andrews is a jack-of-all-trades, of sorts. He plays the trombone and the trumpet, has worked with everyone from Lenny Kravitz to Aerosmith, and co-created The Trombone Shorty Foundation, which provides musical instruments for underserved schools.

We Love a Good Wedding

What better way to celebrate your nuptials than surrounded by friends and...complete strangers? That's the magic of Bonnaroo!

Kaskade Played Music for Four Hours Straight

A few days before Bonnaroo, Kaskade announced he'd be playing a sunrise Redux set in addition to his 2 a.m. performance at The Other stage. It could only mean one thing — head to Kalliope!

Kalliope Is Back

Kalliope — the fire-spewing traveling stage with a top-notch soundsystem — made its triumphant return to Bonnaroo for 2018. The stage hosted day parties and surprise sets from DJs that raged on until 7 a.m. (yes, 7 a.m.) every night.

Master Glass Blower

Mark Haller of Haller Glass hosted interactive glassmaking tutorials throughout the weekend. The incredibly delicate process involves some surprisingly simple tools — a stack of wet newspaper, for example, is used to shape the glass. The glass is so hot (900+ degrees F!) that it creates a steam barrier between the glass and the newspaper that prevents the paper from catching fire.

Jake's Christmas Barn

Like many things at Bonnaroo, Jake's Christmas Barn is a festival inside a festival. The barn hosts daily themed parties (including the infamous Robe Rage), secret sets, comedy shows and, oh, did we mention this place has air conditioning?

Art Walls

The festival's several art walls serve as a yearbook of sorts — plus, they make a great spot to snap a selfie.

The Other Stage

The Other, an open-air stage dedicated to electronic and hip-hop acts, first graced Bonnaroo in 2017. This year's lineup included Kaskade, Alison Wonderland, The Glitch Mob, Carnage and more.

P.L.U.R. Life

The Other stage brings together ravers, bassheads, hippies and anyone who likes a good beat.

The Headbangers Come Out at Night

L.A. producer Kayzo kicked off Friday night performances at The Other stage and his fans did not come to play — at one point they were shaking the rail so hard security had to kindly ask them to be just a little less rowdy.

Camping Out at The Other

How long would you wait to see your favorite artist? Regulars know if you want a good spot, you've got to get there early.

Chaotic Good

This is what a Bassnectar concert looks like.

Oh Yes. Pink Elephants.

Bassnectar ended his performance by bringing out larger-than-life inflatable pink elephants and playing Daladubz's "Pink Elephants," a Dumbo-meets-dubstep track that's become a cult classic among Bassnectar fans.

The Glitch Mob

Los Angeles-based electronic group The Glitch Mob stopped by Bonnaroo on their 38-date North American tour.

Nap Time

Sometimes Bonnaroo feels more like a beach vacation. With music raging on 24/7, you've got to sleep sometime.

Must-Haves

It's not a music festival without a little glitter and a flower crown.

Beat the Heat in Style

Not all heroes wear capes. Some fan you while you wait for your fave artist in 90-degree heat.

Mad Skills

We were impressed by this duo's gravity-defying dance skills.

The Super Store

The Super Store sells not only official Bonnaroo merch, but you can also find artists' merch, too. Pro tip: Hit the store at the beginning of the festival to get best pick of the loot.

Impromptu Piano Concerto

Bonnaroo not only aims to show off the talent of its curated artists, but draws out the musical talent of its attendees as well.

Festival Fam

We made some friends waiting at the rail for Future's Sunday evening set.

Happy Roo!

Roo'ers shuffle out of Centeroo for the last time, some needing more "encouragement" than others from security. Good thing the party never stops on Shakedown Street.

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The Best of Bonnaroo 2018

Related To:

Shop This Look

Turn on the Lights

The Arch

"You're Giving Me Black Swan, You're Giving Me Pride"

Head's in the Clouds

High-Five Friday

The Wristbands of Festivals Past

What So Not Live

The Fountain

American Teen

Dance Dance Revolution

The Ferris Wheel

Where's Waldo?

Into the Great Wide Open

Hamageddon and BaconLand

The Garden at Planet Roo

Gnome on the Move

Amadou & Mariam

Glowed Up

Now Dance

Drum Solo

Comedy Lineup

Raveman

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

We Love a Good Wedding

Kaskade Played Music for Four Hours Straight

Kalliope Is Back

Master Glass Blower

Jake's Christmas Barn

Art Walls

The Other Stage

P.L.U.R. Life

The Headbangers Come Out at Night

Camping Out at The Other

Chaotic Good

Oh Yes. Pink Elephants.

The Glitch Mob

Nap Time

Must-Haves

Beat the Heat in Style

Mad Skills

The Super Store

Impromptu Piano Concerto

Festival Fam

Happy Roo!