How Has Bonnaroo Changed? A Festival Photographer's View
How has Bonnaroo changed over the years? We asked someone with a rare vantage point — Elizabeth Thorpe, festival photographer and our West Coast correspondent, who's been going to Bonnaroo since 2004 and now shoots it from inside the photo pit.
Beth walks us through what the festival experience is really like from behind the lens: the "first three songs only" rule, why the pit is her happy place, and how Bonnaroo has evolved from a freewheeling field party into something bigger, busier, and more produced.
We also get into her recent run of festivals beyond Bonnaroo: Wilco's Solid Sound in Massachusetts (with a Mermaid Avenue set featuring Billy Bragg and a surprise Natalie Merchant appearance) and Pickathon out in the Oregon woods. Beth covered both for The What Podcast, and shares her photography throughout.
Listen to this week'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!
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(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:48) 20 Years at Bonnaroo, From Superfan to the Photo Pit
(00:28:08) Solid Sound: Wilco's Own Festival in Massachusetts
(00:42:52) Pickathon: Eight Stages in the Oregon Woods
(01:06:54) Still No Dates for Bonnaroo 2027?
(01:08:57) Outro
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
What Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a Podcast
Flying to Bonnaroo: What You Actually Need to Bring
Bonnaroo 2026: Thursday Headliner Confirmed + Our Corona Capital 2025 Breakdown
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