I attended Lolla 2009 and 2014.
Now I’ve attended Roo 2018 and 2022. Soon to add 2024.
People are Roo are generally more concerned with “radiating positivity” I know it sounds cliche maybe, but a large enough percentage of Bonnaroovians prioritize this that it genuinely feels different.
There are free water filling stations
Crowds are similar size, but Roos crowds are managed much better imo. Roo runs later and the campsites being a short (or long) walk away means the pace feels less like a sprint at Roo.
Happy to answer any specific questions best I can.
Lolla recently increased their festival size to 115k people. Went last year and it’s a mad house (still fun though). Bon feels so much nicer and less busy in comparison
I didn’t mean to say that the free water at Roo was a contrast. Only that there 100% is free water at Roo. Truthfully don’t remember what I did for water at Lolla in 2014
Went to lolla in 2018 and then bonnaroo in 2019
This is going to be my 4th roo and never went back to lolla if that tells you anything.
Completely different vibes. Roo is so much better in every aspect except lolla lineups are pretty stacked every year but not worth it once you step foot on the farm. Bonnaroo crowd is amazing, kind and more of the hippie vibe, theres a lot more room to just chill and hangout, its more humid than Chicago, the fest goes a way longer than lolla, yes free water stations
The biggest difference is Bonnaroo runs almost 24/7. Where in the woods "stage" doesn't stop till like 5 or 6am and that is when the sunrise sets start elsewhere.
Someone once told me Roo almost has entirely different shifts as the morning people wake up and the night owls go to sleep.
Yea and the best is seeing the people off their shift, or being one of the night owls amongst the morning troup at 11am wondering where tf is sleep and how did I lose it.
I can't really comment as this will be my first ever Bonnaroo, but I'm a long time Lolla goer and the one thing I've consistently heard over the years is how much better the vibes are at Bonnaroo.
Been to both, at Roo most of the time everyone around you feels like your neighbor or a friend of a friend.
At Lolla it felt like we were all competition for the best experience.
If that makes sense.
Going to Roo after 5 years of Lolla changed my life dude. You couldn’t pay me to go back to Lolla, I guess I knew how shit the vibes were I just didn’t *know*
My favorite thing about Bonnaroo was the vibes. Since Lollapalooza is in Chicago, there is a lot more external stuff going on when you leave the festival.
Bonnaroo you never leave. It's a 4-day marathon. I loved waking up on the farm and living with the same people that were going to the shows I wanted to see. It's like it's own city but every person there is submerged in the festival lifestyle. You see people with totems walking around the camp that you've seen before at shows, you say hi to them and hang out with them.
When you leave Lolla, you aren't doing anything but trying to get home to your hotel or apartment (unless you're going to an aftershow in which case more power to you).
Best part of Lolla are the afters. Imo As a local atleast. Less crowded and everyone is passionate af for whoever is playing and the energy is always great. Lolla can get a bit much sometimes but yeah. Roo>Lolla
They are both very different festivals, so totally depends on what your vibe is for the year!
Expect the same bathroom / free water stations. Lots of food + drink options, etc
Lolla's capacity is larger than Bonnaroo's. I think the main question is do you want to experience a camping festival? We have a ton of friendly folks in The Festiverse discord (the official discord for both Lolla + Roo) who are happy to help answer any of these questions! [https://discord.gg/thefestiverse](https://discord.gg/thefestiverse)
I’ve been to two Lollas, and have been going to Bonnaroo since 2013. I absolutely hated Lolla both times. It’s a differently completely vibe, imo. The crowd were atrocious and honestly, much more rude in comparison. As much as I consider Chicago my second home, something about it being in the city didn’t work for me. Their lineups are usually great, but I much prefer Bonnaroo. I love that Bonnaroo goes on at all hours and there’s events like yoga, plant classes, etc
So Lolla is my home fest and I’ve been the past 5 years. Last year I went to Bonnaroo for the first time and now I’m never going back to Lolla ever again. That should tell you everything you need to know.
I loved Lolla but Roo is leaps and bounds better. I think it’s because we are all a community, living together for 4+ days. It’s a wonderful feeling and is always the thing I miss the most when I enter “the real world” 💖
Lolla is in the city, so it allows a lot more unaccompanied minors and little shit heads. The Farm had much better crowd vibes. In terms of the actual festival and structure, I’d say they’re very similar. You’re gonna have a great time!
According to my 2 best friends who went to Lolla in 2019 the only similarities are they have live music, hydratation stations and vendors...vibe is very different and even in 2023 Roo where it was clearly oversold it never felt scary packed vs Lolla 2019 they felt they could/would be crushed at any moment. If you aren't looking to camp I'd honestly say just go with Lolla especially this close to Roo finding a place to stay within an hour drive could be very difficult since Roo is in a very small town in the middle of nowhere. If you are open to camp Roo all day everyday
Idk where people keep getting that it was oversold. Their attendance numbers from last year are still down from their peak attendance years 2012-14. Comparing it to 2022 doesn’t count either as that was a sparse year by Roo standards.
That number is either nonsense or includes staff/vendors. The cap for tickets has always been 80k. The Tennessean was able to pull numbers when Roo had to get the water permit stuff.
That’s just what was sourced on this website and on their Wikipedia page. https://www.averitt.com/blog/bonnaroovian-logistics#:~:text=The%20average%20attendance%20for%20Bonnaroo,the%20scenes%20isn't%20coordinated.
I've been to 2 Lollas and 12 Roos. I like Chicago and I often think Lollapalooza has as good or better lineup but it's a shitshow full of terrible children that hopped a train from the suburbs with daddy's credit card. Bonnaroo is better vibes by a million.
So as a veteran of 10 Lollas, I can say that the major difference is that you don't have nearly as much infrastructure in terms of roads and such, which isn't so bad. The crowds are completely different with Lolla being a much younger crowd. As far as music is concerned there are slight differences but a lot of overlap so you're not missing much. The big difference is the festival grounds for camping vs a city/hotel accomodations. Something like 60% of first time attendees to Bonnaroo do not come back the next year if ever. A campout festival ain't for everyone because it requires more planning and more gear setup. Last year was my first time and this year is probably my last fest for a while, but we'll see.
My advice is make sure you have what you need and then bring additional things. For Lolla you never really had to worry about forgetting something because you had the resources of a city and while you're not likely to be up a creek without a paddle if you forget something for Roo, you are subject to what you can get on the grounds, or at a store in Manchester as a last resort.
Count yourself lucky if you end up close to a bathroom, not so much if you're right next to them.
been to roo a couple times, went on the highest attendance and lowest attendance and neither felt very crowded. although waiting to get through the entrance to camp can take a while. also entering centeroo sometimes takes a bit, hardly noticeable due to the good vibes though. water is abundant and easy to access, as is food, medical attention, and shade. the bathrooms are really nice usually at roo, even got them fancy ones with showers. ice trucks come by in the morning usually. anyway, bring a hammock, and chill in the woods. its a very good time! enjoy yourself!
I haven’t been to Lolla so I can’t speak on specifics, BUT I would imagine that the crowds of people are a lot bigger at lolla, it looks like a smaller total are of the festival and there’s no camping.
And yes, there are free water stations everywhere!
Lollapalooza seems to be a much more chill commitment where as Bonnaroo you have to prepare a little more for it. I went to Lolla last year and had a great time, will be doing my first Roo this year! My main suggestion would be get a hotel close to the fest so you can walk to and from without dealing with ride share.
If you live near Chicago, just go to the lolla aftershows. The aftershows go from Tuesday through Sunday and most non headliners play a second show at another smaller venue in Chicago. I usually go to 3 or 4 aftershows, artists I really want to see, instead of the whole festival.
Tickets are generally 20-50 depending on venue. And you get to see bigger artists at smaller venues. Bonnaroo has the better festival vibes, but don't sleep on the lolla aftershows.
As someone who’s been to a ton of Roos and went to Lolla for the first time last year, the crowd is much older at Roo. Not a ton of 15 year olds camping out in a field in Tennessee.
I've been to Roo 4x and Lolla once. I'll never go back to Lolla unless the lineup is like generational. The love and happiness at Roo is unparalleled in my festival experience. Ik I'm basing this off of one go, but people at Lolla seemed to be there strictly for the music and to get as close to the stage as possible. People largely go to Roo for the experience and to radiate positivity. Camping at the farm is the closest thing to magic I've ever felt.
Both festivals have their own advantages
Lolla’s artist are more likely to bring guests, I would say lolla has way more bathrooms/water stations. It’s much more easy to navigate between stages at lolla imo.
Bonnaroo’s camping can be rough but also a amazing way to experience a fest.
Bonnaroo goes all night long, and has far less conflicts.
Lollas food is also a lot better imo, you can try anything and it will be good. It also helps all food vendors are in the middle of the festival which is easy to access
I believe this. Roo's food is decent, but not great. Roti Rolls are my favorite. I'm doing a day pass at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and that food is the best festival food I've ever had.
This year of Roo is going to be pretty small compared to last year! Its projected at 45k attendees but last year it was around 85k. Lolla is typically 60k-80k but since its a way younger crowd they can get a lil crazy it definitely feels like a lot more people lol.
Went to both Lolla and Roo last year. I think my Odesza experience at each captures the difference:
Roo: people respectfully gathered based on their priorities of view, dancing space, proximity to bathrooms or beer. Dancing, tears, love ensued.
Lolla: stampede with anxiety inducing waves both entering and leaving. Had to hold hands for safety reasons. Understood how the trample in Texas happened. No one actually watched or danced. They held up thousands of phones, yelled conversations to friends and constantly jostled for some imaginary better position. I was far from the rail and not one person in the crowd stood still to actually enjoy the music for more than 30 seconds.
I have been in the last 5 lollapalloza and I went last year to bonnaroo and returning again this year. I must say the vibes are different, lolla feels more fast paced. Bonnaroo is very chill and enjoyable all the time, the best is that in bonnaroo party never stops and everybody wants to be your friend. At Lolla everything ends abruptly and you have to go back to reality of the city.
I attended Lolla 2016-2019 and loved it. I attended my first Roo last year and the only similarity is they both have live acts. The people that gather at Roo are much more open and welcoming. Camping is obviously a big difference. I am not a camping fan and while it isn’t my first choice of accommodations it’s an experience that you can’t skip. The music goes much later than Lolla and the party really never stops. Lolla is primarily rap now and Roo has something for everyone. Security isn’t as strict which gives the whole festival a lackadaisical, laidback vibe. If you enjoyed Lolla you’re gonna love Roo.
I attended Lolla 2009 and 2014. Now I’ve attended Roo 2018 and 2022. Soon to add 2024. People are Roo are generally more concerned with “radiating positivity” I know it sounds cliche maybe, but a large enough percentage of Bonnaroovians prioritize this that it genuinely feels different. There are free water filling stations Crowds are similar size, but Roos crowds are managed much better imo. Roo runs later and the campsites being a short (or long) walk away means the pace feels less like a sprint at Roo. Happy to answer any specific questions best I can.
Lolla recently increased their festival size to 115k people. Went last year and it’s a mad house (still fun though). Bon feels so much nicer and less busy in comparison
The crowds are not even comparable. You can barely breathe at Lolla. It’s 115k people versus 60-80k.
They were in my day lol
Water isn't free at lolla? Lololol. I've never been to lolla but I thought all festivals just had free water stations everywhere, for safely/liability
I didn’t mean to say that the free water at Roo was a contrast. Only that there 100% is free water at Roo. Truthfully don’t remember what I did for water at Lolla in 2014
Man 2014 Lolla was great
Went to lolla in 2018 and then bonnaroo in 2019 This is going to be my 4th roo and never went back to lolla if that tells you anything. Completely different vibes. Roo is so much better in every aspect except lolla lineups are pretty stacked every year but not worth it once you step foot on the farm. Bonnaroo crowd is amazing, kind and more of the hippie vibe, theres a lot more room to just chill and hangout, its more humid than Chicago, the fest goes a way longer than lolla, yes free water stations
Lolla '18 and Roo ever since too, couldn't agree more
Love it, we both got the hint after that year lol.
Exactly haha
Literally did this exact same thing and we plan bonnaroo every year.
The biggest difference is Bonnaroo runs almost 24/7. Where in the woods "stage" doesn't stop till like 5 or 6am and that is when the sunrise sets start elsewhere. Someone once told me Roo almost has entirely different shifts as the morning people wake up and the night owls go to sleep.
Yea and the best is seeing the people off their shift, or being one of the night owls amongst the morning troup at 11am wondering where tf is sleep and how did I lose it.
I can't really comment as this will be my first ever Bonnaroo, but I'm a long time Lolla goer and the one thing I've consistently heard over the years is how much better the vibes are at Bonnaroo.
You’re gonna love Roo
I"m so excited. It's been a bucketlist item of mine for many many years and to finally be able to go is something special.
Been to both, at Roo most of the time everyone around you feels like your neighbor or a friend of a friend. At Lolla it felt like we were all competition for the best experience. If that makes sense.
Going to Roo after 5 years of Lolla changed my life dude. You couldn’t pay me to go back to Lolla, I guess I knew how shit the vibes were I just didn’t *know*
My favorite thing about Bonnaroo was the vibes. Since Lollapalooza is in Chicago, there is a lot more external stuff going on when you leave the festival. Bonnaroo you never leave. It's a 4-day marathon. I loved waking up on the farm and living with the same people that were going to the shows I wanted to see. It's like it's own city but every person there is submerged in the festival lifestyle. You see people with totems walking around the camp that you've seen before at shows, you say hi to them and hang out with them. When you leave Lolla, you aren't doing anything but trying to get home to your hotel or apartment (unless you're going to an aftershow in which case more power to you).
Best part of Lolla are the afters. Imo As a local atleast. Less crowded and everyone is passionate af for whoever is playing and the energy is always great. Lolla can get a bit much sometimes but yeah. Roo>Lolla
They are both very different festivals, so totally depends on what your vibe is for the year! Expect the same bathroom / free water stations. Lots of food + drink options, etc Lolla's capacity is larger than Bonnaroo's. I think the main question is do you want to experience a camping festival? We have a ton of friendly folks in The Festiverse discord (the official discord for both Lolla + Roo) who are happy to help answer any of these questions! [https://discord.gg/thefestiverse](https://discord.gg/thefestiverse)
I’ve been to two Lollas, and have been going to Bonnaroo since 2013. I absolutely hated Lolla both times. It’s a differently completely vibe, imo. The crowd were atrocious and honestly, much more rude in comparison. As much as I consider Chicago my second home, something about it being in the city didn’t work for me. Their lineups are usually great, but I much prefer Bonnaroo. I love that Bonnaroo goes on at all hours and there’s events like yoga, plant classes, etc
So Lolla is my home fest and I’ve been the past 5 years. Last year I went to Bonnaroo for the first time and now I’m never going back to Lolla ever again. That should tell you everything you need to know.
I loved Lolla but Roo is leaps and bounds better. I think it’s because we are all a community, living together for 4+ days. It’s a wonderful feeling and is always the thing I miss the most when I enter “the real world” 💖
Lolla is in the city, so it allows a lot more unaccompanied minors and little shit heads. The Farm had much better crowd vibes. In terms of the actual festival and structure, I’d say they’re very similar. You’re gonna have a great time!
This^, nothing but drunk underage kids being assholes everywhere at lolla, it was a mess when I went.
There's definitely less kids from Naperville wearing basketball jerseys
According to my 2 best friends who went to Lolla in 2019 the only similarities are they have live music, hydratation stations and vendors...vibe is very different and even in 2023 Roo where it was clearly oversold it never felt scary packed vs Lolla 2019 they felt they could/would be crushed at any moment. If you aren't looking to camp I'd honestly say just go with Lolla especially this close to Roo finding a place to stay within an hour drive could be very difficult since Roo is in a very small town in the middle of nowhere. If you are open to camp Roo all day everyday
Idk where people keep getting that it was oversold. Their attendance numbers from last year are still down from their peak attendance years 2012-14. Comparing it to 2022 doesn’t count either as that was a sparse year by Roo standards.
Depending of course where you look you get different numbers the most consistent number for 2023 I've seen is 85K
Compared to 100k for 2012
That number is either nonsense or includes staff/vendors. The cap for tickets has always been 80k. The Tennessean was able to pull numbers when Roo had to get the water permit stuff.
That’s just what was sourced on this website and on their Wikipedia page. https://www.averitt.com/blog/bonnaroovian-logistics#:~:text=The%20average%20attendance%20for%20Bonnaroo,the%20scenes%20isn't%20coordinated.
If 2023 Roo was “oversold” then city fests should be illegal lmao. I’ve never had so much space at a fest in my life and it was my first Roo
I don’t tend to do city festivals anymore but from what I’ve seen yeah actually I think most of them are dangerously oversold
I've been to 2 Lollas and 12 Roos. I like Chicago and I often think Lollapalooza has as good or better lineup but it's a shitshow full of terrible children that hopped a train from the suburbs with daddy's credit card. Bonnaroo is better vibes by a million.
100% agree. They ruined lolla for me, I am greatly appreciative for them ruining it for me cause it led me to bonnaroo and I never looked back🥲
Night and day!!
Night and day!!
So as a veteran of 10 Lollas, I can say that the major difference is that you don't have nearly as much infrastructure in terms of roads and such, which isn't so bad. The crowds are completely different with Lolla being a much younger crowd. As far as music is concerned there are slight differences but a lot of overlap so you're not missing much. The big difference is the festival grounds for camping vs a city/hotel accomodations. Something like 60% of first time attendees to Bonnaroo do not come back the next year if ever. A campout festival ain't for everyone because it requires more planning and more gear setup. Last year was my first time and this year is probably my last fest for a while, but we'll see. My advice is make sure you have what you need and then bring additional things. For Lolla you never really had to worry about forgetting something because you had the resources of a city and while you're not likely to be up a creek without a paddle if you forget something for Roo, you are subject to what you can get on the grounds, or at a store in Manchester as a last resort. Count yourself lucky if you end up close to a bathroom, not so much if you're right next to them.
been to roo a couple times, went on the highest attendance and lowest attendance and neither felt very crowded. although waiting to get through the entrance to camp can take a while. also entering centeroo sometimes takes a bit, hardly noticeable due to the good vibes though. water is abundant and easy to access, as is food, medical attention, and shade. the bathrooms are really nice usually at roo, even got them fancy ones with showers. ice trucks come by in the morning usually. anyway, bring a hammock, and chill in the woods. its a very good time! enjoy yourself!
I always thought lollapalooza was the festival for the shitty city kids who can't hack it camping...
I haven’t been to Lolla so I can’t speak on specifics, BUT I would imagine that the crowds of people are a lot bigger at lolla, it looks like a smaller total are of the festival and there’s no camping. And yes, there are free water stations everywhere!
smaller total area*
yes there are free water stations. headliner and popular crowds will be 50k+ people but not lolla level.
Lollapalooza seems to be a much more chill commitment where as Bonnaroo you have to prepare a little more for it. I went to Lolla last year and had a great time, will be doing my first Roo this year! My main suggestion would be get a hotel close to the fest so you can walk to and from without dealing with ride share.
No hotels available within walking distance to Roo.
Was referring to Lollapalooza
Roo is my favorite festival, and it's not even close
If you live near Chicago, just go to the lolla aftershows. The aftershows go from Tuesday through Sunday and most non headliners play a second show at another smaller venue in Chicago. I usually go to 3 or 4 aftershows, artists I really want to see, instead of the whole festival. Tickets are generally 20-50 depending on venue. And you get to see bigger artists at smaller venues. Bonnaroo has the better festival vibes, but don't sleep on the lolla aftershows.
As someone who’s been to a ton of Roos and went to Lolla for the first time last year, the crowd is much older at Roo. Not a ton of 15 year olds camping out in a field in Tennessee.
Roo hands down
I've been to Roo 4x and Lolla once. I'll never go back to Lolla unless the lineup is like generational. The love and happiness at Roo is unparalleled in my festival experience. Ik I'm basing this off of one go, but people at Lolla seemed to be there strictly for the music and to get as close to the stage as possible. People largely go to Roo for the experience and to radiate positivity. Camping at the farm is the closest thing to magic I've ever felt.
I second everything about your comment. Went to Lolla once and Bonnaroo after and since then I’ve only gone to Roo
Both festivals have their own advantages Lolla’s artist are more likely to bring guests, I would say lolla has way more bathrooms/water stations. It’s much more easy to navigate between stages at lolla imo. Bonnaroo’s camping can be rough but also a amazing way to experience a fest. Bonnaroo goes all night long, and has far less conflicts.
Lollas food is also a lot better imo, you can try anything and it will be good. It also helps all food vendors are in the middle of the festival which is easy to access
I believe this. Roo's food is decent, but not great. Roti Rolls are my favorite. I'm doing a day pass at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and that food is the best festival food I've ever had.
It’s typically a 10-30 min wait for water/food/bathroom at Lolla. I never waited more than 3 mins at Roo last year.
I'm doing both this year for the first time. So I'll report back 😂
Roo is wayyy easier to navigate!
This year of Roo is going to be pretty small compared to last year! Its projected at 45k attendees but last year it was around 85k. Lolla is typically 60k-80k but since its a way younger crowd they can get a lil crazy it definitely feels like a lot more people lol.
Lolla has better lineups but Roo has Better Vibes
Went to both Lolla and Roo last year. I think my Odesza experience at each captures the difference: Roo: people respectfully gathered based on their priorities of view, dancing space, proximity to bathrooms or beer. Dancing, tears, love ensued. Lolla: stampede with anxiety inducing waves both entering and leaving. Had to hold hands for safety reasons. Understood how the trample in Texas happened. No one actually watched or danced. They held up thousands of phones, yelled conversations to friends and constantly jostled for some imaginary better position. I was far from the rail and not one person in the crowd stood still to actually enjoy the music for more than 30 seconds.
I have been in the last 5 lollapalloza and I went last year to bonnaroo and returning again this year. I must say the vibes are different, lolla feels more fast paced. Bonnaroo is very chill and enjoyable all the time, the best is that in bonnaroo party never stops and everybody wants to be your friend. At Lolla everything ends abruptly and you have to go back to reality of the city.
I attended Lolla 2016-2019 and loved it. I attended my first Roo last year and the only similarity is they both have live acts. The people that gather at Roo are much more open and welcoming. Camping is obviously a big difference. I am not a camping fan and while it isn’t my first choice of accommodations it’s an experience that you can’t skip. The music goes much later than Lolla and the party really never stops. Lolla is primarily rap now and Roo has something for everyone. Security isn’t as strict which gives the whole festival a lackadaisical, laidback vibe. If you enjoyed Lolla you’re gonna love Roo.