Shirtless vocalist leaning toward the audience with a microphone at Bonnaroo

YUNGBLUD

All Photos © Steve Galli for Full Access Media Group

Story by Chloe Catajan for Full Access Media Group

“Hamptons Summer” this, “Parisian Summer” that. It was Farm Summer over at Bonnaroo this June 11 to 14.

The iconic music festival, affectionately known as the Roo, returned to the 700-acre farmland that is Great Stage Park for four days. Its all-star lineup included big names like The Strokes, Rüfüs Du Sol, and Noah Kahan, as well as an impressive undercard featuring Fcukers, Dora Jar, Wednesday, and more.

Surely, the Roo is a habitat of diverse sounds, from hyperpop and hardcore to folk and funk. But the Roo is so much more than its noun form. It’s a verb, with the phrase “how to Roo” used as a catchall for navigating the festival’s ins and outs, as well as its inclusive and respectful camping etiquette.

And, above all else, the Roo is a shared experience, a community bonded by the love of live music. It’s not uncommon to hear someone wish a “Happy Roo!” among the forty-something thousand attendees. How many other fests have their own greeting (that actually caught on)?

Photographer Steve Galli reports his highlights from The Farm, including Nat Myers’ stunning Bonnaroo debut, CMA Fest alums Waylon Wyatt and Wyatt Flores, and scenes from Kesha’s Superjâm Esotérica: The Alchemy of Pop.

Even with severe weather causing some set cancellations on the last day, it was still a Happy Roo.

Singer in a pink feathered dress performing at Bonnaroo

Kesha’s Superjâm Esoteríca: The Alchemy of Pop

Musician playing an acoustic guitar under purple festival lighting

Wyatt Flores

Musician in a red cap singing with an acoustic guitar and harmonica

Waylon Wyatt

Seated guitarist singing into a microphone at Bonnaroo

Nat Myers

Big Energy

Lambrini Girls closed their set with “Big Dick Energy,” a raucous cut that calls out toxic masculinity and the performative, manipulative double standards around it. It’s a statement much needed to be heard, and the Brighton duo were an effective messenger.

Provocative, punk, and punchy, Lambrini Girls ripped through Which Stage, performing songs like “God’s Country” and “Cuntology 101” that fought for change, reclaimed space, all while having fun while they’re at it.

That big energy was a force to be reckoned with all weekend long at Bonnaroo.

Spiritual Cramp started Day One off strong over at What Stage, with no shortage of jumps, flying kicks, and sharp riffs. The San Francisco punk band brought a taste of the Bay Area music scene to The Farm, performing some songs off 2025’s RUDE, and even covering Caesar’s “Jerk It Out.”

Wet Leg continued their moisturizer era with a steamy Which Stage set, emerging from a cloud of fog to open with the teasing, “Catch These Fists.” Lead singer-guitarist Rhian Teasdale switched between taking charge across the stage and shredding on a clear acrylic BC Rich guitar, as bandmates Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, and Joshua Mobarak locked in to deliver fiery rhythms.

After kicking off the North American leg of his Idols World Tour, YUNGBLUD made a stop at Bonnaroo. The English punk rocker’s set at the What Stage was short, sweet, but as snappy as always, performing fan favorites “Lovesick Lullaby” and “Zombies,” as well as more songs off Idols and his self-titled.

Bay Area hardcore at the Roo? Yes please. San Jose, California’s Sunami brought the heat to Bonnaroo’s This Stage. It was something a little more than a warmup set before the Washington, D.C. Warped Tour date, as the band tore it apart on songs like “Gate Crasher,” “Six,” and “Weak Die First.”

Guitarist performing in front of the Lambrini Girls stage backdrop

Phoebe Lunny and Selin Macieira-Boşgelmez of Lambrini Girls

Vocalist in sunglasses raising both hands toward the festival crowd

Michael Bingham of Spiritual Cramp

Pink-haired guitarist playing an electric guitar at Bonnaroo

Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg

Vocalist performing at the front of a brightly lit Bonnaroo stage

Sunami

Shirtless vocalist jumping beside the drum kit during a festival performance

YUNGBLUD

Viral Phenoms IRL

Viral sensations with lasting impressions, these Bonnaroo acts are hits both on-screen and onstage.

You might have heard Japanese Breakfast’s “Be Sweet” or “My Baby” in a TikTok edit, or know her music as a 2010s bedroom pop staple. Now, Jbrekkie’s Michelle Zauner has made internet waves by announcing her pregnancy. Zauner first debuted what she dubs as her “Jpreggie” belly at the Governors Ball , but continues to glow as she performs her way through the festival circuit. On Bonnaroo’s Which Stage, Japanese Breakfast’s sound was vibrant as the Zauner and co performed several songs off Jubilee, just in time for its fifth anniversary.

Claire Rosinkranz’s songs sound the way girlhood feels—fun, tongue-in-cheek, a little sentimental, and a little nostalgic. Her viral song “Backyard Boy” famously depicts that, but her latest release My Lover sees it flourish and grow. Rosinkranz’s Bonnaroo appearance came together last minute following her tour, and her set was just as thrilling as the spontaneity of it all.

From making hit tweets to hit beats, Zack Fox can do it all. His DJ set at Which Stage blended hip hop, house, and of course an occasional internet reference mixed in. Locked in at his deck, he remixed elite tracks like SOPHIE’s “Vyzee” and A Touch of Class’ “Around The World (La La La La La),” all of which had ravers going hard, even in pure daylight.

Midnight Generation recently celebrated one year of “Don’t Wait Up,” the funky, electronic track that sounded off on TikTok and Reels. On the What Stage, the song felt as fresh as ever. The Mexican electro-funk collective really had no trouble warming up the Roo crowd as one of the first sets of Day Three. They got into the groove and fans followed suit like clockwork.

Singer in a black dress raising a microphone beneath falling confetti

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast

Singer in a black crop top extending both arms toward the crowd

Claire Rosinkranz

DJ working at a mixing console with headphones around his neck

Zack Fox

Band in white outfits performing in front of an orange stage backdrop

Midnight Generation

A Supergroup Superjam

For the uninitiated, the Roo hosts a Superjam every year where artists come together to perform cover songs of their choice. It’s dubbed a “signature, once-in-a-lifetime” experience with good reason, with performances in the past including Hayley Williams covering Chaka Khan and Dashboard Confessional covering American Football.

This year, Kesha hosted the special, officially called Kesha’s Superjâm Esoteríca: The Alchemy of Pop. The pop star invited multiple guest artists onstage to cover pop hits from The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” with Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Sia’s “Chandelier” from Weird Al Yankovic, and Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” with Mountain Grass Unit.

There were also appearances from Flipturn, Wyatt Flores, Del Water Gap, Margo Price.

Blondshell, Chromeo, Grouplove, and Boy Throb, all of which ended with a big group rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

Singer holding a microphone while wearing a multicolored feathered jacket

Kesha’s Superjâm Esoteríca: The Alchemy of Pop

Two singers sharing the stage in black and pink outfits

Ela Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise with Kesha’s Superjâm Esoteríca: The Alchemy of Pop

Curly-haired vocalist singing with one hand on their chest

Weird Al Yankovic at Kesha’s Superjâm Esoteríca: The Alchemy of Pop

Two vocalists singing together in front of a colorful festival screen

Kesha’s Superjâm Esoteríca: The Alchemy of Pop with Margo Price

Bonnaroo was the place to play what’s new, as several artists had material from new albums to share.

Vince Staples’ Day One set consisted almost entirely of songs from Cry Baby, his brand new record that trades his usual hip hop style for rock. The heavier sound comes with sharp verses from Staples, who addresses America’s systemic injustices throughout the tracks.

On the What Stage, Staples came in hot with his signature effortless, yet poignant delivery. His full live band matched the energy, leaning into post-punk fuzz and frenzy on hard-hitting riffs in “The Running Man” and the like.

Villanelle hit the What Stage the next day with some pop-punk anthems off their latest EP, Measly Means. Led by Gene Gallagher (son of Liam), Ben Taylor, and Jack Schiavo the English rock trio served gauzy, grainy textures on songs like “Hinge” and the EP title track—reminiscent of heavyweights from the UK alternative scene, like Basement.

Holly Humberstone shared not just a new album with Bonnaroo, but a whole new era with Cruel World. Her signature ethereal, guitar-driven melodies, now a little more nuanced with sonic layers and a polished, personal flair. Matching the castlecore motifs of the album’s visuals, Humberstone rocked a black corset and cross necklace, as her name displayed in a metallic medieval font behind her.

Tash Sultana graced the What Stage with a set of nonstop grooves, in the midst of their first North American tour in three years to support the EP, Return to the Roots. Switching between the electric guitar, trumpet, windchimes, and the occasional vox, Sultana was a quadruple-threat of a sonic force.

While Tedeschi Trucks Band played a few songs off their latest release, Future Soul, their set at the What Stage came with some beloved covers, including ones of The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup” and Jeff Beck’s “Beck’s Bolero.”

Vocalist in sunglasses holding a microphone with a red cable

Vince Staples

Guitarist in sunglasses playing in front of a colorful face illustration

Gene Gallagher of Villanelle

Singer playing an acoustic guitar at a microphone on the Bonnaroo stage

Holly Humberstone

Musician playing a trumpet while wearing an electric guitar

Tash Sultana

Two guitarists facing each other during a festival performance

Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band

More Jams and Gems

Photographer Steve Galli caught upwards of 40 sets at the Roo this year, with those highlights below.

On Friday, June 12, standout sets came from Goldie Boutilier at This Stage, Amble and Blues Traveler at What Stage, and Jessie Murph at Which Stage.

On Saturday, June 13, Steph Strings and Mountain Grass Unit had Bonnaroovians in awe at Which Stage, while Arcy Drive and Alabama Shakes stunned at What Stage.

Evacuations were in order due to severe weather the first half of Sunday, June 14, but Steve managed to catch Little Stranger and Buffalo Traffic Jam give their all before the fest-wide pause.