The Bonnaroo 2025 lineup is finally here! Bryan, Barry, and Lord Taco bring you a special live edition of The What Podcast with our first impressions. Who are we excited to see? Who surprised us the most? Over the coming weeks, we will bring you even more coverage of Bonnaroo 2025 along with some exclusive interviews.

Later in the episode, we bring in our friends Lauren and David from Soundchecks to Stagedives and get their take on the lineup, particularly on the EDM side. Plus, we announce the details of our ticket giveaway! Go to thewhat.co/win for how to enter, and make sure you're subscribed to The What Podcast and listen each week for a new question to answer!

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Christmas is just around the corner, and The What Podcast is wrapping up the year with a fun and festive episode before taking a holiday break. Barry, Russ, and Bryan kick things off by recapping MAINx24, Chattanooga’s 24-hour block party. From the parade in the bus to chili competitions and Jell-O shots, it’s the ultimate community celebration.

Next, the guys dive into the latest Bonnaroo buzz, including Roo Clues, lineup leaks, and what’s shaping up to be an exciting 2025. Plus, they celebrate a fantastic Spotify Wrapped this year and take a moment to thank YOU, the listeners and viewers, for an incredible year of growth.

Finally, Barry poses the ultimate holiday music question: What are your top five records for starting a vinyl collection? The hosts share their lists, highlight essential vinyl for any music lover, and offer some great gift-giving tips for the season. Now it’s your turn—share your top 5 vinyl picks in the comments. See you in the new year!

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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Would you live in a van and travel the country going to festivals? While it sounds like a dream lifestyle to most of us, our guests this week, Lauren and David, are living it. They started Soundchecks to Stagedives in 2021 and have spent the last two years on the road full-time, covering music festivals and shows.

Lauren and David take us inside the EDM community, sharing insights and speculating on who we might see at Bonnaroo 2025. From Tipper’s big plans for next year to the acts they’re most excited about, this episode is a must-listen for festival lovers.

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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It's time to get hyped for Bonnaroo 2025! In this episode, we break down major updates, including the confirmation of Tipper on the lineup. Tipper’s inclusion is creating buzz, and we speculate on his placement in the schedule. We also discuss what this means for Bonnaroo’s evolving lineup strategy and its ability to bring legacy acts into the spotlight. We also need to talk about some of the recent policy changes, such as the new re-entry fee if you leave the farm, and new ticket options.

Beyond the festival news, Russ talks about the Bonnaroo Takeover, a last-minute meetup in East Nashville hosted by marketing director Cory Smith and the Bonnaroo team. Featuring free Spicy Pie, a DJ set by Sparkle City Disco, and the "Letters to Roo" mailbox project, this event highlights the festival's commitment to the community. Could future Bonnaroo meetups be planned?

Finally, we dive into the broader festival scene, from Shaky Knees' move to Piedmont Park and date change to Coachella's 2025 lineup featuring Kraftwerk and Misfits.

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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This week on The What Podcast, we take a field trip to The Caverns in Pelham, TN — a music venue like no other. Located just 20 minutes from Bonnaroo's Farm, The Caverns offers an extraordinary experience, hosting shows underground in a breathtaking cave and on a sprawling outdoor amphitheater.

We sit down with Todd Mayo, the visionary behind The Caverns, to uncover its remarkable story. From serendipitous beginnings to becoming one of Tennessee’s most captivating entertainment landmarks, Todd shares insights from his journey, including highlights from his new book, Caveman Chronicles. Whether you're a music enthusiast or someone interested in the behind-the-scenes challenges of running an independent venue, don't miss this deep dive episode!

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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We are still unpacking last week's conversation with Brad and Cory from C3 about what to expect for Bonnaroo 2025. Lots of new information on changes and improvements for next year, and of course we've got to take a guess at who they are hinting at for headliners.

In addition to all the Bonnaroo info, we take a look at some of the recent news about When We Were Young Festival, and Chappell Roan's SNL performance. What's got you most excited for Bonnaroo 2025? Leave us a comment below and subscribe to The What Podcast for the latest festival news and info!

Join the Discord for early access to episodes!

Photo By: Evan Brown

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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Could comedy make a comeback at Bonnaroo in 2025? Expanded camping options, or even a two-weekend event? This week on The What Podcast, we dive deep with Bonnaroo insiders Festival Director Brad Parker and Marketing Manager Cory Smith from C3 Presents. They share exclusive insights into what worked in 2024, what fans loved, and the exciting changes planned for 2025. If you're a Bonnaroovian, you won’t want to miss this one!

And, of course, it wouldn't be Bonnaroo without a diverse lineup. Brad and Cory hint at what fans can expect — from EDM headliners to legacy acts — and talk about the balancing act of booking artists that honor Bonnaroo's roots while offering the "best in the streets" to appeal to any fan, regardless of genre.

Join the Discord for early access to episodes!

Photo By: Evan Brown

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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It's been five years since Exit 111 took place on our beloved Farm in Manchester, featuring heavy-hitting acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Def Leppard, and Guns N' Roses. Bryan Stone attended with Taco, while Barry made a visit to check it out. The hosts reflect on the festival's surprising gun policy and discuss how things have changed since then. Will Great Stage Park ever host another festival like this?

In more recent news, we explore Sand in My Boots, a new festival headlined by Morgan Wallen in Gulf Shores, AL, which replaces the long-running and beloved Hangout Festival. Hulaween is also on the horizon in Florida.

Find The What Podcast on X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Discord!

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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We conclude our coverage of South Star 2024 this week with an exclusive peek behind the curtain into how the festival came together in such a short period of time, and the long-term vision the city has for it. Despite the hurricane weather and Sunday's cancellation, the event was a huge success for the city. Matt Mandrella is Huntsville's Music Officer, quite possibly the first person in the country to hold a municipal position dedicated to developing and improving the musical culture for a city. "Huntsville is working to develop its music infrastructure, including attracting industry professionals and improving music education in schools," Matt tells us.

Matt also explains the reasons why Huntsville wanted to host a regional music festival, what commitments the city made when working with C3 Presents to bring the event to life, and the shockingly short timeline they had to complete it when the decision was made to move it up a year from 2025 to 2024. Beyond South Star though, Huntsville believes that music is a critical component to the city's growth and quality of life. Matt takes us on a deeper dive into the plans Huntsville has to bring in more artistic talent, including grants and incentives bands can receive for touring and creating music. It's a fascinating conversation behind the scenes you won't want to miss!

Donate to Hurricane Helene relief efforts here

Photo by: Evan Brown

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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We continue the South Star Festival conversation this week with Jim Striker, who ran bars and clubs in Chattanooga for over 20 years before getting into music promotion. Jim was there with his wife on Saturday for South Star, and shares his experience rocking out to Tom Morello despite the muddy and rainy weather.

Elsewhere in the episode, Bryan Stone tries to get Oasis tickets and we discuss the latest news about Chappell Roan cancelling some of her upcoming festival appearances and concerts amid her rising success.

Donate to Hurricane Helene relief efforts here

Photo by: Evan Brown

Are you Ready to ROO? The What Podcast wants to send you to the Farm to experience a magical weekend of music, fun, and friendship at Bonnaroo! You'll witness round-the-clock entertainment from over 100 artists! We've got 4-day tickets and a camping pass for you and a guest. Visit thewhat.co/win for details.

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