MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) -- The four day Bonnaroo Music Festival kicks off Thursday afternoon and the event is completely sold out.
Fans began entering the 700 acre Coffee County festival site Thursday morning. The Tennessee Highway Patrol tells WMOT there’s been very little congestion on Interstate 24 as a result of the Bonnaroo traffic, but the THP’s Lieutenant Skip Burnette says motorists should still be cautious when passing through the area.
“Number one we need everyone to slow down. Be careful and watch for slow moving vehicles. All Bonnaroo traffic we’re moving to the shoulder of the road. All through traffic we want in the left lane coming in; both directions.”
Back in May, festival organizers released a new economic impact study indicating the annual music festival contributes more than $50 million dollars to Tennessee’s economy each year. County Mayor David Pennington says festival organizers have been easy to work with.
“They have shown themselves to be a real partner to Coffee County. And not just Coffee County, but the other areas around – the other counties surrounding Coffee County benefits from it also.”
There’s been some concern that headliners Mumford and Sons might be a no-show this year. Band bassist Ted Dwane underwent surgery earlier this week for a blood clot on the surface of his brain. The band canceled three shows in Texas and Louisiana, but the group's website says they will still perform at Bonnaroo on Saturday.