If Thursday at the 2026 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was about returning to The Farm and Friday was musical discovery, Saturday was about accepting that you simply couldn’t see everything. Every stage offered an artist we wanted to see. Each random person we got to hang with provided another reason to change plans. Difficult decisions had to be made.
That balancing act is part of what makes Bonnaroo special. Plans are made, abandoned, rewritten, and abandoned once again. But Saturday this year… We could write another entire post about the bands we wish we could have seen.
But what a day of music and friendship we put together!
The day began with one of country music’s most promising young artists. At just 19 years old, Waylon Wyatt carried himself with a confidence that felt well beyond his years, looking completely at home in front of a Bonnaroo crowd.
Musically, Wyatt struck an appealing balance between traditional and contemporary country. His songs felt authentic enough to fit comfortably in a classic honky-tonk while remaining modern enough to connect with a new generation of country fans. Having missed previous opportunities to catch Wyatt because of unavoidable schedule conflicts at other fests, Saturday at Bonnaroo told us we should have made the time sooner.
As temperatures climbed, Amyl and the Sniffers delivered exactly the kind of jolt Saturday afternoon needed. Their hard-driving rock set wasted little time getting the crowd moving. When many festivalgoers were looking for shade or slowing their pace, Amyl and the Sniffers encouraged the opposite. With mosh pits forming despite the oppressive heat, they proved a great rock band can recharge you when their undeniable energy.
Next, over on the What Stage, the Alabama Shakes delivered the kind of performance that immediately entered the conversation for the weekend’s best set.
Having seen the band before, expectations were already high. Somehow the Alabama Shakes managed to surpass them. Brittany Howard’s voice was simply extraordinary, delivering what may have been the strongest vocal performance of the weekend. Whether soaring through powerful choruses or settling into quieter, more soulful moments, every note felt effortless while the band provided the perfect foundation behind her.
Just as impressive was the atmosphere surrounding the set. A massive crowd filled the field, completely locked in, as Alabama Shakes reminded everyone why they remain one of the most celebrated live bands of their generation. At one point, Brittany Howard encouraged the crowd to leave their problems behind for a while. Judging by the thousands of radiating faces stretched across the field, it was advice well taken.
Festival performances often become memorable because of spectacle. Alabama Shakes accomplished it through musicianship, soul, and an undeniable connection with The Farm.
The jump from Alabama Shakes to Deathpact could not have been more dramatic. However, the sense of community never changed.
Where Alabama Shakes united the crowd through soulful musicianship, Deathpact accomplished the same thing with crushing bass drops and relentless energy. Fans traded singalongs for headbangs as The Other transformed into one of the weekend’s most intense dance floors.
Among the electronic artists that graced Bonnaroo throughout the weekend, Deathpact delivered what was arguably the hardest-hitting set. Every drop landed with force, the production matched the music’s intensity, and the crowd responded in kind from beginning to end.
No Bonnaroo weekend feels complete without the SuperJam. And, this year’s Kesha-curated edition once again proved why it remains one of the festival’s most beloved traditions.
Artists rotated on and off the stage throughout the evening, each putting their own spin on familiar favorites. One of the night’s standout moments came when Margo Price stepped behind the drum kit while simultaneously handling lead vocals on “Seven Nation Army,” drawing one of the evening’s biggest reactions.
Kesha managed to weave in a few of her own songs. But, rather than simply giving us a preview of the next day’s set, they were reimagined. She introduced fresh arrangements that fit the collaborative nature of the event. A slowed rendition of “TiK ToK” immediately established that this would be something unique.
The evening built toward one unforgettable finale. As every guest returned to the stage for a communal performance of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” a gentle rain began falling over Centeroo, creating one of those festival moments that simply can’t be planned. Whether coincidence or a little Bonnaroo magic, it provided a fitting ending to one of Saturday’s most memorable celebrations.
After a full-on sprint to the Other Stage we managed to catch the last 20 minutes of Sara Landry‘s set. But, it required far less time to understand why she’s earned the title of the “High Priestess of Hard Techno.”
The Other was engulfed in relentless, high-impact energy. Landry’s uncompromising style paired crushing beats with an intensity that never let up. It was easily one of the weekend’s most immersive electronic experiences. Some performances leave you wishing you had stayed longer. Sara Landry’s left one thought above all else: don’t make the mistake of missing the next opportunity to dance with the Priestess.
By the early hours of Sunday morning, the destination was clear: The Where? Stage for CloZee.
After first experiencing her Bonnaroo set in 2022, CloZee became one of the artists who fundamentally changed the way we viewed electronic music. While there had always been an appreciation for EDM, her ability to blend organic instrumentation and world music influences opened the door for us to an entirely new side of the genre.
Three years later she built on those memories. Beginning at 2:45 a.m., her set provided the perfect (almost) closing chapter to Saturday, balancing powerful bass with melodic textures that felt truly immersive. Every transition unfolded naturally, creating a journey that kept the crowd locked in until the stage went dark and the set was sadly over too soon.
Some artists make you appreciate a genre. Others make you want to explore it further. CloZee continues to do both, delivering another unforgettable late-night performance.
Of course, Saturday at Bonnaroo isn’t really over until the sun comes up.
With no intention of calling it a night just yet, the final stop was Gorgon City‘s sunrise set. As darkness gradually gave way to daylight, thousands of festivalgoers gathered for one last dance.
Whether making it to a sunrise set technically counts if someone gently wakes you up after the sun has already risen…is a debate best left for another day. Either way, it was the perfect ending to a Saturday that proved some of Bonnaroo’s best moments happen when the planning is forgotten and the experience takes over.
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