Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
I am curious about the sale of artist guest passes. What time frame would contest winners/artist friends usually start selling these on craigslist? If anyone can assist me on this it would appreciated.
The pre-party is in the VIP camping area, if that helps answer your question.
You get access to all the VIP areas and a lot of the roll like a rock star areas (like the raised platforms in tents)
The raised platforms in the tents are not for roll like a rock star. And neither a guest pass nor a roll like a rockstar pass will gain you access to them.
Went VIP in 2011, but skipped last year, so reading these detailed posts on the new VIP changes for 2012 was very helpful!
It seems the VIP "pit" at Which is more or less guaranteed, but the confusion regarding the "pit" at This Tent (or That?) leaves me wondering. It's great to hear some VIPs had luck getting in there last year, but I guess there's no way we'll get confirmation if that perk will exist this year, huh?
Last year was my first year in VIP and I, too, will never go back to GA. In past years, I camped in an RV. So I went into the 2012 festival thinking that there wouldn't be much difference between RV GA and VIP tent camping. Boy, was I wrong. Much different.
I felt so refreshed last year that I enjoyed the music and Centeroo experience a lot more. Any time I wanted to leave Centeroo to go back to rest at my campsite, eat, change clothes, or get more beers, I did so easily. I would go back after just a few sets, do what I had to do at the camp site, and was back at the next set within 15 minutes or so. My tent was the closest tent to the showers (I actually almost did get a river of water leaking into my tent, but that was because I pushed the envelope and got too close), it was also next to the hospitality tent where I plugged in my phone regularly, and just a few hundred feet from one of the Centeroo entrances. The VIP entrance to What Stage was about a 5 minute walk from my tent. And I was rarely checked going in through that way. Needless to say, I snuck a lot of things in. I wouldn't even call it sneaking things in when one of the guys visibly saw me stuff a can of beer in my pocket before I got to the entrancd. I'm sure that isn't necessarily commonplace, but I do know the employees at the VIP entrance are not only experienced Roo employees, for the most part, but they also get marching orders before the fest not to mess with VIP people too much. You never know what actual Very Important Person you could piss off. I had a discussion with one of the employees about all of this on the last day. Essentially, just let the VIPs do their things. And let's face it, these are typically a high percentage of return customers.
The bathrooms and showers stayed in impeccable shape all weekend. The free beer was plentiful on Thursday night (I got hammered). And the hospitality tent was a cool hangout place. Not many tired, sad, overwhelmed faces. And I would plug my phones in there and walk away with little concern. Again, probably pushing the envelope a bit and I have no scientific evidence, but I believe that personal theft is lower in VIP than GA. Let me knock on wood as I type this so I don't run into any theft problems for this year's edition. In addition, I really enjoyed the VIP hill overseeing What Stage. Food tent was right there, chairs were comfortable, and I may have caught a nap or two.... or three. My only gripe is that there isn't a VIP area at the tents. But it really didn't matter much overall.
I strongly recommend VIP, definitely if you were a GA tent camper, but even if you've done RV in the past. You really don't need an RV in VIP, but if you roll with one, more power to you. Maybe I'll come party at your campsite this year if you do. I look forward to VIP again in 2013. I'm sure I'm missing other details, but that's the gist of it. This rare, I may link up with the Inforoo crew that does VIP.
So....this will be my 10th Roo and my group may finally be agreeing to do VIP. One important question- is it easier to get in/out of VIP during the festival? One of our group lives close to Machester and he has to leave for a little while on Saturday to go see his daughter is a play or something. Do they leave you enough room that he could leave and come back in?
So....this will be my 10th Roo and my group may finally be agreeing to do VIP. One important question- is it easier to get in/out of VIP during the festival? One of our group lives close to Machester and he has to leave for a little while on Saturday to go see his daughter is a play or something. Do they leave you enough room that he could leave and come back in?
We did our first Roo last year and did it in VIP and we had absolutely no issues leaving. In fact, we left in the morning on both Saturday and Sunday for Starbucks and a trip to WalMart for some snacks and rain boots.
So....this will be my 10th Roo and my group may finally be agreeing to do VIP. One important question- is it easier to get in/out of VIP during the festival? One of our group lives close to Machester and he has to leave for a little while on Saturday to go see his daughter is a play or something. Do they leave you enough room that he could leave and come back in?
We did our first Roo last year and did it in VIP and we had absolutely no issues leaving. In fact, we left in the morning on both Saturday and Sunday for Starbucks and a trip to WalMart for some snacks and rain boots.
Much appreciated. My buddy is losing his melon over having to leave, so I had to confirm that he can drive in/out of VIP with no issues. Look forward to joining the VIP crew this year. It is about time!
This is exactly what I needed to know. I did 2 yrs of GA tent camping and then went to VIP last year and found the whole experience outstanding. However, this year I am bringing a couple new folks with me and they are convinced that they need an RV to be comfortable. (We can't afford VIP and RV). But I'm not sure if my super positive experience of VIP Roo '12 is somewhat based on the fact of the wonderful temperatures??? If you had asked me after the raging heat of Roo '10 and "11- I would have said tent anything could not beat an airconditoned RV!! We are have a planning meeting before ticket sales on Sat. so I would love any more of your view - like maybe some of the negatives about being in GA RV????
Guest passes are artist guess passes, some bands sell them and sometimes radio stations get their hands on them. And sometimes bands give them to friends who just turn around and sell them. You get access to all the VIP areas and a lot of the roll like a rock star areas (like the raised platforms in tents) and all the hospitality areas not included in VIP like miller lite etc.
Idk if that means the VIP pre party is fair game or not. I'm gonna gamble and try and get them I think
Not true. My girlfriend and I had guest passes last year and they DO NOT give you access to ANYTHING VIP. There are some situations where people will allow you go to certain places you can't normally, but it is mainly because some of the people working simply aren't familiar with them as much. Trust me, it is NOT even close to going VIP.
Guest passes are artist guess passes, some bands sell them and sometimes radio stations get their hands on them. And sometimes bands give them to friends who just turn around and sell them. You get access to all the VIP areas and a lot of the roll like a rock star areas (like the raised platforms in tents) and all the hospitality areas not included in VIP like miller lite etc.
Idk if that means the VIP pre party is fair game or not. I'm gonna gamble and try and get them I think
Not true. My girlfriend and I had guest passes last year and they DO NOT give you access to ANYTHING VIP. There are some situations where people will allow you go to certain places you can't normally, but it is mainly because some of the people working simply aren't familiar with them as much. Trust me, it is NOT even close to going VIP.
Hm. Welp, I guess I was grossly misinformed. My apologies. I was going to try for Guest passes this year, but now I think I will just grab GA passes.
Post by scissorbaby on Feb 26, 2013 19:28:28 GMT -5
Sooo..this is going to be my 4th Roo, 1st going VIP. I might have missed it somewhere, but about how big are the camping spaces? GA was only the width of your car and if our neighbors hadn't of marched off to tent-only then we wouldn't have had enough room for our tent my first year.
Sooo..this is going to be my 4th Roo, 1st going VIP. I might have missed it somewhere, but about how big are the camping spaces? GA was only the width of your car and if our neighbors hadn't of marched off to tent-only then we wouldn't have had enough room for our tent my first year.
Came in a Suburban last year, plenty of room for the car, tent, and a pop up.
So, these VIP tents in centeroo have screens showing live stream of acts? Not just during headliners, but also maybe showing tent and which stage stuff as its happening all day? And this may be a really silly question, but I need to be fully mentally prepared, but they sell beer and other alcoholic beverages in these tents as well right? If so, is it just beer and coolers, or could they whip up some cocktails and such? It occurred to me that the heat of 2011 may return, so these tents will become vital to the survival of my lady and I.
So, these VIP tents in centeroo have screens showing live stream of acts? Not just during headliners, but also maybe showing tent and which stage stuff as its happening all day? And this may be a really silly question, but I need to be fully mentally prepared, but they sell beer and other alcoholic beverages in these tents as well right? If so, is it just beer and coolers, or could they whip up some cocktails and such? It occurred to me that the heat of 2011 may return, so these tents will become vital to the survival of my lady and I.
I remember that they serve beer, but I don't know about anything beyond that. A nice draw is that the lines are way shorter.
The VIP tent near the Which stage had one big screen. It wason the Which while I was there, but there may have been tent stuff too.
This will be our first Roo, and my wife and I are really looking forward to it! We are coming in VIP and with an RV pass.
We're hoping to find/make friends in centrool Marooland to drive down together in an RV as a group, but if not, we'll likely drag a small camper down behind the SUV.
All good ideas on how to make this shape up and flow smoothly would be appreciated (beyond the fab posts from Gene and Leo).
Greatly appreciate all the good info and great vibes that's here on Inforoo! Y'all rock!!
Post by riversideroo on Mar 2, 2013 18:29:21 GMT -5
This will be my 4th Roo and first going VIP. I'm taking my girlfriend and this will be her 1st!
I'm super excited to say the least. Did some shopping today to start getting ready. I also starting digging through all my camp gear and started getting organized.
I'm interested in the Inforoo camping deal. Do a bunch of cool people from this site just organize to camp together or is it more involved? The two of us would love to meet some cool people to hang with and share some good conversations. I'm a pretty experienced festival goer but I want her to have an amazing time.
Lastly, in the VIP camping, do they usually designate which camping spot you take or is it a free-for-all. It sounds like the spots are marked now and it seems like the need to put you in a spot would be less likely.
Thanks gor the help all. This site is fantastic and has been a ton of help as far as planning goes!
Post by goodfella1422 on Mar 2, 2013 22:47:01 GMT -5
Hey all, Friend and I finally splurged for the VIP. Were hoping one of the perks is ice. Being in BFE in years past and making the walk to get ice every morning was brutal. Is ICE available and easy to get in VIP areas? Thanks all - BONNAROOOOOO!!!
Hey all, Friend and I finally splurged for the VIP. Were hoping one of the perks is ice. Being in BFE in years past and making the walk to get ice every morning was brutal. Is ICE available and easy to get in VIP areas? Thanks all - BONNAROOOOOO!!!
Post by cosmicfeline on Mar 3, 2013 11:51:16 GMT -5
This whole thread was incredibly helpful!
I am hoping to get there as the gates open. I want an awesome spot-- preferably near a VIP tent. I have a feeling I will be taking full advantage of them to get a couple more hours of shut eye on those too hot to sleep mornings. I saw where someone was talking people were bringing up air mattresses- I wasn't planning to go to that extreme- but they didn't have an issue with it? I was considering just a blanket and pillow and find a spot behind a couch. Is this easy and allowable?
Speaking of air mattresses- can I use the VIP tents electricity to blow my mattress up?
Since ice is on site, how much should I bring? How many coolers? I am not much of a camper and this is my first roo. I really just want to be comfortable as I can be.
Post by joiedevivre on Mar 3, 2013 15:08:20 GMT -5
Is there an age limit? My parents bought tickets for my friend and I for our highschool graduation present, and we are 18...is that okay?? They got VIP tickets. Thanks!!!
Is there an age limit? My parents bought tickets for my friend and I for our highschool graduation present, and we are 18...is that okay?? They got VIP tickets. Thanks!!!
I am hoping to get there as the gates open. I want an awesome spot-- preferably near a VIP tent. I have a feeling I will be taking full advantage of them to get a couple more hours of shut eye on those too hot to sleep mornings. I saw where someone was talking people were bringing up air mattresses- I wasn't planning to go to that extreme- but they didn't have an issue with it? I was considering just a blanket and pillow and find a spot behind a couch. Is this easy and allowable?
Speaking of air mattresses- can I use the VIP tents electricity to blow my mattress up?
Since ice is on site, how much should I bring? How many coolers? I am not much of a camper and this is my first roo. I really just want to be comfortable as I can be.
I've never seen someone actually haul in a plug-in air mattress to the lounge. I don't imagine they'd let that fly, simply because of all the space it would take up, but you don't know until you try, right? Sure wouldn't count on it tho. There's plenty of other already set-up surfaces on which to nap!
As for ice, I usually end up getting a bag of ice a day. But I like my shiz cold! It's a short walk from the VIP area to the main ice man outside the arch. You can get a huge bag that'll last until the next day for $5 or $10, can't remember the price. Walking back to camp with a couple huge bags of ice on your shoulders is particularly refreshing.
I am hoping to get there as the gates open. I want an awesome spot-- preferably near a VIP tent. I have a feeling I will be taking full advantage of them to get a couple more hours of shut eye on those too hot to sleep mornings. I saw where someone was talking people were bringing up air mattresses- I wasn't planning to go to that extreme- but they didn't have an issue with it? I was considering just a blanket and pillow and find a spot behind a couch. Is this easy and allowable?
Speaking of air mattresses- can I use the VIP tents electricity to blow my mattress up?
Since ice is on site, how much should I bring? How many coolers? I am not much of a camper and this is my first roo. I really just want to be comfortable as I can be.
First, welcome to roo and welcome to VIP!
Getting there early is no guarantee you will be close to the VIP tent, since the rows are laid out south to north, and they fill from West to East. That means, you will be closer to Centeroo, but could still end up with a little walk to the VIP tent. Regardless, nothing is too far in VIP, and it is all grassy, so you will not encounter a dust storm on the way up to the tent.
They have chairs, hammocks, and bean bag beds set up up there, but the hammocks and bean bags will be claimed pretty early by people doing exactly what you described. The floor of the tent is carpeted plywood, or just plywood. It is fine if you have a few blankets or a sleeping bag, but an air mattress may not fit. It is your roo, and they tend not to tell you no to anything you want to do.
Yes, you can use the VIP electricity, although it may be easier to make friends with those around you, and see if they have a pump you can use to save you the trip. They have VIP outlets in the outside tents as well as the inside tents.
Ice is on site, but the key to a good cooler is to ice everything down before you go. We typically will ice down the night before we leave, drain the water in the morning and then re-ice before we leave. It ensures everything stays cool before you go. Figure 8-12 bottles of water per person per day, but not all of it needs to be iced before you go. All of your beer should be as cold as possible before leaving. We bring a cooler of water and a cooler of beer per 2 people in our group. (IE, when we have 4, we have 2 water / Non-alcohol coolers, and 2 beer coolers since.) In addition, we bring 1 utility cooler for extra ice and any food. Basically, when camping always prepare for the worst, in case the ice runs out, or you get too lazy to get it. Do not skimp on coolers. a good 5-7 day cooler is the difference of $10 / day in ice per cooler.
Is there an age limit? My parents bought tickets for my friend and I for our highschool graduation present, and we are 18...is that okay?? They got VIP tickets. Thanks!!!
VIP is all ages, but they will card you at beer tents and at the VIP party if you look underage.
