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Bonnaroo Seeks Wider Lineup in 2005
12/12/2004 5:30 PM, Reuters
Ray Waddell
Same Bonnaroo time, same Bonnaroo
place.
The fourth annual Bonnaroo Music Festival will be held June
10-12, 2005, returning to the 700-acre site in rural
Manchester, Tenn., about 60 miles south of Nashville, where
90,000 people gathered this past summer.
The lineup is being finalized and will likely be announced
in January, said Jonathan Mayers, partner in Superfly Presents
(which produces the event along with Ashley Capps and A.C.
Entertainment).
"We are going to continue to expand the programing from our
core," Mayers told Billboard. "We will continue to have our
core, but we're also into introducing fans to all types of
music. We think these fans are very open to different kinds of
music."
Bonnaroo was the second-highest-grossing concert of 2004,
according to Billboard Boxscore, taking in $14.5 million for a
lineup that included the Dead, Dave Matthews & Friends, Trey Anastasio , Bob Dylan and nearly 80 other acts.
Mayers asides ticket prices, which were $139 and $164 in
2004, will increase in 2005. The show's capacity will remain at
90,000 per day.
"We want to keep the capacity the same and improve the
experience," Mayers said.
He added that the producers are close to a resolution
regarding a per-ticket fee payable to Coffee County, where
Manchester sits.
The county originally wanted 5%-8% of ticket sales;
Bonnaroo has in the past donated $2 per ticket going to local
charities. The final agreement will likely result in $2-$3 per
ticket going to the county.
"We know that Bonnaroo puts a lot on the town, and they're
very good to work with," Mayers said. "There is a fine line
between what they feel is fair and what we feel is fair. We
love being there, and we think we can come up with a solution
that keeps us in Manchester for a long time to come."
Meanwhile, Mayers and his colleagues are busy putting
together the various bands and attractions that will complete
the Bonnaroo puzzle.
Mayers said they will not limit themselves to what is
generally perceived as "jam band" music."
"There is just so much good music out there," he said. "And
we don't want to stand still."
Reuters/Billboard
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