Since the rise of influencer culture in recent years, it’s hard to capture the true nature of festivals like Bonnaroo online. Surely, no one could resist taking a photo in front of the famous archway. But there’s a lot of magic to be seen outside of those 2 seconds of posing! That’s why this year, we want to BeReal with you all about Bonnaroo 2022.
BeReal is a new social platform that boasts, “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life… Everyday at a different time, everyone is notified simultaneously to capture and share a Photo in 2 Minutes.”
So we brought BeReal with us to provide a visual diary of what Lightning 100 was up to at Bonnaroo 2022. We didn’t spare any details – except maybe we’ll exclude how many slices of Spicy Pie we collectively consumed.
Wednesday, June 15th – The Preparation
“Tearing apart my closet to find Roo fits that I can sweat in”
It was Delaney’s first Bonnaroo, and she started packing the night before. She had never been camping as an adult, so her main focus was finding cute clothes that were comfortable enough for 100-degree tempuratures. Spoiler alert! There is no way you can be comfortable in 100-degree temperatures. She should’ve bought a fan.
Other ‘Roo prep included washing off a cooler for her Uncrustable sandwiches, and providing cuddles to Valley (pictured bottom right).
“Rest = Rooward”
Mel is a seasoned vet when it comes to Bonnaroo. 2022 was their sixth time attending the festival, so they knew rest was key the day before departure.
Mel spent the week prior acquiring all the things you need while camping: tarps, a generator, gas, and even an extra fan for Delaney to borrow. Delaney and Emily would have been found dead at their campsite without Mel (on second thought – maybe just Delaney).
Other festival essentials for Mel include her squishy friends, Cappyboi and Olden!
Thursday, June 16th – Day 1
Emily and Delaney arrived at their campsite around 10:30am. By 12:30pm, their campsite was “pretty much set-up,” according to their groupchat. Soon after, they sought the media tent, and more importantly, an AC vent to point directly into their faces. Setting up a campsite in the Tennessee heat proved difficult, and they later decided to treat themselves for their bravery at the Broos tent.
Mel arrived later in the afternoon with Cappyboi strapped to her arm to help set up the rest of camp. Cappyboi stayed on her arm for the remainder of the weekend.
Friday, June 17th – Day 2
Shortly before the BeReal notification popped up, there was an order to shelter in place as extreme weather events head towards Manchester. Here is the crew, listening to Harry Styles and searching for a punchline to make light of the situation.
Friday’s weather was a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the weather for the rest of the day was almost bearable! On the other hand, Lightning 100’s campsite, and many others entered the upside-down.
Check out the disaster campsite tour over on tiktok. Comment “cappyboi forever” if you found that video from this post so we know you’re in on all the jokes!
Saturday, June 18th – Day 3
In true emo fashion, Mel was found at the All Time Low concert when the Saturday BeReal notification fired. She is joined by her family and a crowler (can-growler) from Crazy Gnome Brewery out of East Nashville.
At this time, Delaney was heading to camp to grab a blanket for her first Superjam featuring Jack Antonoff. Saturday’s weather was back up to 100-degree highs, so the can in her hand was likely her tenth Liquid Death of the day.
Sunday, June 19th – Day 4
The Lightning 100 crew gathers to see Flipturn on the last day of Bonnaroo 2022. The crowd came prepared for a good time with bubbles, glitter, and a severed mannequin leg signed by bands of ‘Roo’s past.
In Emily’s BeReal you can see the leg in all its glory, complete with wristbands and band stickers. We forgot to ask if it had a name, so we’ll be left wondering until Bonnaroo 2023. We’re looking forward to that reunion, but until then, stick around for more music and festival news from Lightning 100!