MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rainy weather forced the cancellation of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, but Middle Tennessee State University students still walked away with valuable experience.
Troy Steward and Gianna Sasmore were among the MTSU students working behind the scenes when the music stopped and a shelter-in-place order was issued.
"We just washed it because there was mud everywhere," Steward said.
"Whole thing was caked in mud," Sasmore said.
The students were part of a team from MTSU's College of Media and Entertainment, mixing live sound and filming performances as part of a hands-on learning opportunity that has been ongoing since 2015.
"Their drummer was walking on stage, and they had to stop them, and we went into a weather delay," Sasmore said.
The plan was for the students to work all four days of the festival, but Thursday was the only day when weather conditions allowed the event to proceed normally.
Despite the shortened experience, students found value in applying classroom knowledge to real-world situations.
"It was helpful to apply what I learned in my studio classes about directing to an actual real-world situation where I was directing," Sasmore said.
When officials made the call to shut down the festival, the students had to quickly disconnect cables and dry off soaked video and audio equipment.
"It went from grass to big mud puddles because people kept walking back and forth between backstage and the tent—one pathway turned into complete mush," Sasmore said.
The camping areas faced similar challenges, as vehicles and attendees struggled with the muddy conditions.
"All the tire tracks—and people were throwing pool noodles and tables to try to get each other unstuck. It was crazy," Steward said.
While disappointed that their experience was cut short, the students recognized the value in learning about the unpredictability of live events.
"It's not like it's going to be the last show anyone ever does—there will be more things to do," Steward said.
Bonnaroo organizers have announced they will refund all one-day admission tickets and provide a 75% refund for all 4-day ticket holders.
This story was reported on-air by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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