The 2025 Bonnaroo lineup has been announced and it’s indicative of a problem megafestivals face today.

Unless your festival is called Glastonbury, you’ll know that mega outdoor events have been struggling over the last few years. While Lollapalooza did okay in Chicago, Coachella didn’t sell out last year. And neither did Bonnaroo. Meanwhile, a ton of festivals on both sides of the Atlantic had to be canceled. What’s going on? A couple of things.

First, the costs of running a festival like this have skyrocketed. Inflation has taken its toll on everything from staging, lights, sound, roadies, and everything else that goes into something like this. Another major issue is the cost of insurance thanks partly to some of the injuries, drug overdoses, and deaths that have plagued some festivals.

Second, the festival audience is changing. What do you notice about the Bonnaroo lineup?

Here’s what I see: An unfocused all-you-can-eat buffet of nothing in particular. Yes, young festivalgoers are far more ecumenical in their musical tastes, but that may not translate into the festival experience.

Insane Clown Posse and Luke Combs on the same day? Look at the Friday lineup. If I’m a Megadeth fan, would I pay to see all those bands who aren’t in the same universe? Modest Mouse sticks out like a sore thumb on the Saturday. Sunday, which mixes Queens of the Stone Age and Hozier isn’t much better.

And finally, let’s be honest: How many of the bands on this poster do you recognize? Yes, festivals like this are booked using the “green bananas” theory (sign up emerging acts that you hope will be breaking through by the time festival weekend rolls around), but man, there’s not much worth staying in a field for a long weekend.

What festivals will do well? Focuses, genre- and era-specific gigs. Spending hundreds of dollars for just a couple of acts over the course of a weekend just ain’t gonna cut it. Thoughts?