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'm going to Bonnaroo for the first time this year and I'm going solo. I'm staying in the Residence Inn because the idea of camping alone is kinda depressing...
ANYWAY, have any of you vents skipped the camping and went for the hotel stay? Does it take away from the essence of the festival? Pros? Cons? Help me out ppl!!
Camping alone is the opposite of depressing, I've done it more than once. Your neighbors are automatic friends with the offering of a beer or joint, and you're never really "alone" at Bonnaroo. You can also look on facebook and other groups about joining an existing Groop, many of which are made up by people that are strangers.
I do almost all my fests solo, and I like hotels for most, but Bonnaroo is the only one I prefer to camp.
I'm going to Bonnaroo for the first time this year and I'm going solo. I'm staying in the Residence Inn because the idea of camping alone is kinda depressing...
ANYWAY, have any of you vents skipped the camping and went for the hotel stay? Does it take away from the essence of the festival? Pros? Cons? Help me out ppl!!
I've never done the Bonnaroo + hotel thing but you'll definitely lose the essence of the festival. I've camped solo there five times and it is arguably better than camping with other people.
If you're someone that really needs a hotel - and I don't mean this unkindly - you may want to choose a different festival. Like, virtually any other festival. Most of them have stronger lineups and are designed for you to leave and go back to your home or a hotel.
The only case that I could see would be if you were going solely for U2 because it was the only place that you could get tickets.
My first Bonnaroo I was alone and completely unprepared. I quickly made friends with my neighbors and they pretty much saved my life. Every year now I end up becoming good friends with the people around me. The time spent in the campgrounds before heading off to Centeroo is one of the more special aspects about Bonnaroo. Also I don't think anyone will look down on you for camping alone. I've met plenty of people who have done it and generally when people find out you came to Bonnaroo alone they see you as really cool and brave.
I'm going to Bonnaroo for the first time this year and I'm going solo. I'm staying in the Residence Inn because the idea of camping alone is kinda depressing...
ANYWAY, have any of you vents skipped the camping and went for the hotel stay? Does it take away from the essence of the festival? Pros? Cons? Help me out ppl!!
Stayed at a hotel solo 2012-2016.
Cons:
-Can't avoid the fact that you do lose out on that je ne sais quoi when you don't camp. You can call it community, connection with others, being fully immersed in the festival, whatever, but you do lose that. -You can potentially miss out on earlier shows because of sleeping too much (not as true anymore since shows typically don't start until 2pm) -Hoteling is most likely more expensive than camping, unless you have to buy a bunch of camping stuff you don't already own. -Driving 30 minutes from Murfreesboro, then dealing with traffic getting in (anywhere from ten minutes to an hour) is a bummer. Also now you have to pay for day parking. -Leaving Bonnaroo and driving back deep in the AM is also a bummer. Obviously you cannot do this if you are intoxicated, but even tiredness can make the drive dangerous. There have been times I wanted to stay longer, but I knew if I did I might be too tired to drive. Having said that I usually make it to 3am with no problems, YMMV. -Instead of driving you can purchase a shuttle package, but this is really expensive.
Pros:
-After 12-13 hours in centeroo heat n' dust, walking into your air conditioned hotel room will make you feel like a champion. You will feel intelligent and heroic, and will laugh at the little people currently laying in the mud 30 minutes southeast of you trying to go to sleep while the Kalliope runs 60hz notes through their bodies. -Best sleep of your life. Plus you get 7+ hours of it, pretty much guaranteed. -Best shower of your life. -Best leftover pizza of your life. -You can drink water from a tap that is close to your bed, there is also a clean toilet near that you can use the bathroom in whenever you want. -You can watch "Love It or List It" when you wake up in the morning. -You can go get Waffle House when you wake up in the morning. -Hotel rooms are quiet -When camping, while much is said of meeting your neighbors and making lifelong friends, it is also possible your neighbors are pieces of shit. Hotel removes this possibility from the equation. -I only did the shuttle once, last year, but it is incredible. -Because you get such good sleep, you have a significant amount of energy to make those 12-13 hour days possible. I actually catch more sets when I stay in a hotel for that reason, because there is no need for me to return to camp and rest up.
Other notes:
-The residence inn is nice but you can do better for your money. I haven't looked at prices because I haven't gone in a while, but check out the Super 8 in Murfreesboro. It is clean, quiet, and comfortable, and should be significantly cheaper than the Residence Inn. I've also stayed at the Ramada in Murfreesboro, which is fine but the rooms have that funny institutional smell.
Good luck with your decision, I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have.
Camping alone is the opposite of depressing, I've done it more than once. Your neighbors are automatic friends with the offering of a beer or joint, and you're never really "alone" at Bonnaroo. You can also look on facebook and other groups about joining an existing Groop, many of which are made up by people that are strangers.
I do almost all my fests solo, and I like hotels for most, but Bonnaroo is the only one I prefer to camp.
I'm going to Bonnaroo for the first time this year and I'm going solo. I'm staying in the Residence Inn because the idea of camping alone is kinda depressing...
ANYWAY, have any of you vents skipped the camping and went for the hotel stay? Does it take away from the essence of the festival? Pros? Cons? Help me out ppl!!
I've never done the Bonnaroo + hotel thing but you'll definitely lose the essence of the festival. I've camped solo there five times and it is arguably better than camping with other people.
If you're someone that really needs a hotel - and I don't mean this unkindly - you may want to choose a different festival. Like, virtually any other festival. Most of them have stronger lineups and are designed for you to leave and go back to your home or a hotel.
The only case that I could see would be if you were going solely for U2 because it was the only place that you could get tickets.
I definitely want to see U2! But I just thought that the camping would be kinda sad and boring and a little scary if I were alone. Didn't know what to expect
My first Bonnaroo I was alone and completely unprepared. I quickly made friends with my neighbors and they pretty much saved my life. Every year now I end up becoming good friends with the people around me. The time spent in the campgrounds before heading off to Centeroo is one of the more special aspects about Bonnaroo. Also I don't think anyone will look down on you for camping alone. I've met plenty of people who have done it and generally when people find out you came to Bonnaroo alone they see you as really cool and brave.
THANKS for this!! I was just a bit scared of the solo camping thing. But you all make it sound super fun!
I'm going to Bonnaroo for the first time this year and I'm going solo. I'm staying in the Residence Inn because the idea of camping alone is kinda depressing...
ANYWAY, have any of you vents skipped the camping and went for the hotel stay? Does it take away from the essence of the festival? Pros? Cons? Help me out ppl!!
Stayed at a hotel solo 2012-2016.
Cons:
-Can't avoid the fact that you do lose out on that je ne sais quoi when you don't camp. You can call it community, connection with others, being fully immersed in the festival, whatever, but you do lose that. -You can potentially miss out on earlier shows because of sleeping too much (not as true anymore since shows typically don't start until 2pm) -Hoteling is most likely more expensive than camping, unless you have to buy a bunch of camping stuff you don't already own. -Driving 30 minutes from Murfreesboro, then dealing with traffic getting in (anywhere from ten minutes to an hour) is a bummer. Also now you have to pay for day parking. -Leaving Bonnaroo and driving back deep in the AM is also a bummer. Obviously you cannot do this if you are intoxicated, but even tiredness can make the drive dangerous. There have been times I wanted to stay longer, but I knew if I did I might be too tired to drive. Having said that I usually make it to 3am with no problems, YMMV. -Instead of driving you can purchase a shuttle package, but this is really expensive.
Pros:
-After 12-13 hours in centeroo heat n' dust, walking into your air conditioned hotel room will make you feel like a champion. You will feel intelligent and heroic, and will laugh at the little people currently laying in the mud 30 minutes southeast of you trying to go to sleep while the Kalliope runs 60hz notes through their bodies. -Best sleep of your life. Plus you get 7+ hours of it, pretty much guaranteed. -Best shower of your life. -Best leftover pizza of your life. -You can drink water from a tap that is close to your bed, there is also a clean toilet near that you can use the bathroom in whenever you want. -You can watch "Love It or List It" when you wake up in the morning. -You can go get Waffle House when you wake up in the morning. -Hotel rooms are quiet -When camping, while much is said of meeting your neighbors and making lifelong friends, it is also possible your neighbors are pieces of shit. Hotel removes this possibility from the equation. -I only did the shuttle once, last year, but it is incredible. -Because you get such good sleep, you have a significant amount of energy to make those 12-13 hour days possible. I actually catch more sets when I stay in a hotel for that reason, because there is no need for me to return to camp and rest up.
Other notes:
-The residence inn is nice but you can do better for your money. I haven't looked at prices because I haven't gone in a while, but check out the Super 8 in Murfreesboro. It is clean, quiet, and comfortable, and should be significantly cheaper than the Residence Inn. I've also stayed at the Ramada in Murfreesboro, which is fine but the rooms have that funny institutional smell.
Good luck with your decision, I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have.
THIS THIS THIS was EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thank you!!!
Post by crazykittensmile on Jan 23, 2017 19:27:02 GMT -5
Just wanted to chime in and mention Camp Inforoo. I camped "alone" there my first Bonnaroo and it was so great. You'll make lots of new friends and never be alone if you don't want to be. You're guaranteed to have some good neighbors.
There should be a thread about it closer to the fest It's situated in the tent-only section of the campground, so the only downfall is that you have to haul your gear over from your car/camping spot on the first day. After that, you're much closer to the festival area everyday, so I'd say that's an even trade off!
Post by lunarstage on Jan 26, 2017 19:23:50 GMT -5
Dude -- just camp. Especially if its your first time. Join up with Camp Inforoo or Camp Reddit, make some new lifelong friends, and buddy up with people who have been before that can show you around. Trust me, theres no better way to enjoy Bonnaroo than camping amongst people who know what they are doing. You will be taken care of. You will be invited along. You will have an amazing time.
Camping alone at Bonnaroo doesn't sound depressing - it sounds magical. Trekking back and forth from a hotel each day, alone, and sleeping there, alone, sounds WAY more depressing.
Cancel that reservation. Spend the money on a cheap tent, an EZ Up for shade, borrow a cooler from a friend, bring some blankets and snacks from home, and go have a blast. Its the only way to properly experience Bonnaroo, especially the first time. Anything less and you would be doing yourself and the magic of the festival a disservice. You stay in a hotel alone, it will just be like any other festival, you'll see some great music then go home and thats it. But if you camp, make friends, explore and adventure around every inch of the site, and party all night, it will change your life.
It's situated in the tent-only section of the campground, so the only downfall is that you have to haul your gear over from your car/camping spot on the first day. After that, you're much closer to the festival area everyday, so I'd say that's an even trade off! 
