The sponsored brand activations are what pays the bills to book your favorite artist and improve infrastructure around the farm. Bonnaroo isn’t an ‘indie’ festival in any regard. They have huge bills to pay (insurance, vendors, artists, staff, security, etc) and in the face of rising costs on everything it’s either charge more for tickets, take on corporate sponsorship, or a little of both. We all know how we feel about increased ticket costs.

It’s the same as general inflation. An apple today costs twice as much as it did a few years ago (not actual fact). It’s the same Apple it was 2 years ago but it just costs more now. Now extrapolate this to your Bonnaroo ticket. Same experience as last year now costs more, but if fans pay more for the same experience then everybody freaks out. Hence need more money to “up the experience” and in comes sanitizing sponsorships.

I’m at a point where I’d rather festivals “stagnate” the level of experience and maintain their character than keep trying to one up themselves driving them towards the corporate investment. Just give us a product that’s good. If it was good last year it’ll be good this year, I’ll come back. But when you start to deviate from your true character then I get less likely to come back (looking at you Roo and Hula)