Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm

Bonnaroo is taking 2027 off, and we wanted to dig into what&#39;s next. This week we&#39;re joined by David Bruce (I Am Bonnaroo) and Ryan French, a Manchester city councilman and tourism official with a front-row seat to what a fallow year actually means for the town Bonnaroo calls home. We get into the economic ripple through Manchester, why Bonnaroo is the &#34;bell cow&#34; for festivals far beyond itself, what a year off does to the local businesses and community that depend on it, and why our guests are hopeful about 2028 and beyond.Plus, Barry reflects on a full-circle moment: covering Bonnaroo in 2002 as a skeptical newspaper reporter, and getting quoted in Rolling Stone about its future 24 years later.Get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The CavernsListen to this week&#39;s episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!______(00:00:00) The News, One Week Later and a Rolling Stone Shoutout(00:03:19) How We Got Here: From a 2002 &#34;Hippie Fest&#34; to Rolling Stone(00:20:54) David Bruce &amp; Ryan French Join(00:27:41) Bonnaroo the &#34;Bell Cow&#34; and What It Means for Other Festivals(00:35:14) What a Year Off Costs Manchester(00:49:50) The Community Response and Keeping Bonnaroo Alive(01:01:08) Looking Forward and Moving Ahead(01:09:08) Reflecting on Past Cancellations(01:13:07) Mini-Roos and 2027 EventsLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODERolling Stone: Bonnaroo Taking ‘Much-Needed Year Off’ in 2027Ashley CappsForce Majeure with Jeff BeckerWhat Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a PodcastBonnaroo Cancels 2027: Our Live ReactionCatching Up with I am Bonnaroo Creator David BruceInstagram: @iambonnarooHow Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roototemfnd.orgBonnaroo&#39;s Infamous &#34;Squarch&#34;: The Full Story with Tim &#34;Tuba&#34; Smith______ CaveFest at The Caverns, Oct 10-11, 2026 | Get Tickets Here! 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast" rel="nofoll