It was the best of times, it was the worse of times for long-time Bonnaroo attendees on Monday. While ticket holders find themselves just a few weekends away from the Tennessee music festival’s 2019 edition, the Bonnaroo community was shocked to see updates come in on social media Monday evening showing the event’s beloved arch and visual centerpiece going up in flames.
Related: Bonnaroo Details 2019 “G.O.A.T.” SuperJam: GRiZ, Jennifer Hartswick, Nikki Glaspie, More
One of the first reports of the arch fire came courtesy of Twitter user The Festive Owl, who shared a photo showing the well-known venue entry/exit landmark going up in flames. Thankfully, the fire was the result of a controlled burn by the event’s organizers, who shared a statement via their own Twitter account saying, “The arch had recently discovered significant structural issues and needs to be dismantled/replaced.”
So rather than taking the large archway apart piece-by-piece, they torched the damn thing like it was the next city on Daenerys Targaryen’s Westeros liberation/hit-list. The result of the fire did not leave much to be collected or saved. See below for photos of the captured and shared post-fire.
It’s official — RIP to the @Bonnaroo Arch. Your watch has ended.
Here’s to something new to come. pic.twitter.com/0tpUDlqt3G
— Festive Owl (@TheFestiveOwl) May 21, 2019
Bonnaroo’s organizers plan and build a new arch design and color scheme each year, but organizers have yet to reveal what it will look like for 2019. The venue’s main entry/exit is primarily known for being a fan-favorite for photo opportunities.
In addition to welcoming Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry back to “The Farm” in 2019, this year’s Bonnaroo will feature performances from Phish, Childish Gambino, The Lumineers, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Trampled By Turtles, Jim James, and many more. You can head to the festival’s website for tickets and info.