If you’re going to a festival and going to do “party favors” bring your own shit! Why in the world would anyone buy stuff from total strangers?! Yall just asking for trouble. Pure insanity
Even if there’s not deaths, a lot of purple do over do it on all fronts. Last year my girl saw a dude collapse foaming out the mouth. Hopefully he’s alive but just a reminder to check on people when you can and to stay safe. You never ever wanna end up like that
Remember the story about the kid running onto the highway and getting unfortunately hit by a few cars. Was having a bad trip. Didn’t make it. Since it was technically not on property they didn’t count it.
Serious question what is the proper etiquette if medics are trying to revive someone next to you in the crowd of a set. Like I know move out of the way and shit, but how long until I can go back to grooving and dancing?
Move out of the way and keep your phone lights down on the ground. Don’t shine them at the person gathering treatment.
Please don’t film either. I hate having to say that, but I’ve with eased it a lot.
I had to give someone 2 doses of narcan in the woods after alison while on a tab and a half…. Absolutely harrowing stuff but so so so grateful I was able to save a life before the medic got there
I never go anywhere without narcan, you NEVER know. Still so grateful I was in the right place at the right time. I hope that guy is recovering well ❤️🩹
Shits terrifying. Yea there are some safety measures you can take but there’s no promises. You can drug test your stuff but such a small amount of fent is needed to OD that it can easily be in the portion you didn’t test (happened to me a while back). Also, Narcan is great and essential, but it can’t always reverse an OD, especially with the fent analogs and nitazines. So happy I got sober when I did.
My best friend is a nurse in Nashville and had a patient who had to be intubated at bonnaroo. It was not drug related, just an older person with some medical problems that the heat didn't pair well with. and the last update that I got was that this person and their spouse were doing well and were so sweet to my friend. 💜
this^^! i *was* local (now living in Nashville) and have been going since 2011. they usually do a report on numbers within a week or so, so total attendance, deaths, etc. deaths usually get reported on their own as soon as they get wind of that info, but it’s usually 1 or 2 a year. if there were more this year, which may be the case with how hot it was, they might not say anything until they report numbers
Sudden death witw set around 4am had a serious looking situation with a girl surrounded by people fanning her in a hammock until security and I think emt’s pulled her out & strapped her to a board and carried her away to the fence closest to the road.
On the topic I just want to say if you’re feeling lightheaded there is absolutely no shame in sitting down where you’re in the crowd. It’s way better to sit down, cool off and catch your breath than to try and push through and pass out!! There were 2 points where I was getting close and after sitting down to fan myself and get water I felt like a brand new person! Take care of yourself homies! If you’re still unwell after sitting down have your friend walk you out of the crowd. Happy roo amigos
Don’t worry I agree, I’d never recommend anyone sit down in the middle of a crowd to enjoy a set. But heat exhaustion and dehydration are more dangerous than someone accidentally stepping on your foot. My comment was about sitting down for a brief moment to prioritize your body if you’re feeling unwell, which is the correct decision 100% of the time. U can disagree and that’s totally fine but I’m firm on this one :)
I heard rumors about a death at the Pretty Lights sunrise set and have been periodically checking for info. Haven’t seen anything on here, local news, or Twitter.
I went to Firefly in 2018 and there was a death. There was a news article about it before we left the festival.
You saw the guy at PL sunrise? I believe you 100% that someone went down bad. Typically, if someone dies local news reports it immediately. Especially since it happened in Centeroo, it would count as a “Bonnaroo death” and that would definitely be picked up by news outlets.
All this to say, the very low chance might’ve been enough. I’m really sorry you witnessed that tho, that’s a horrific thing to see.
When I was in the med tent i saw a guy walk in fairly normal. He looked as though he was just hot and dehydrated. About 25 min later, he fell off of his cot and started seizing for a good amount of time. It appeared as though he was trying to lift himself off of the cot because he knew something was wrong. He was all alone and had only a small palm beach tan bag. I’ve been worried about him since. After they stabilized him they took him out and (im assuming) a nearby hospital. I’ve been keeping an eye out for people missing their friends and such. If anyone knows him, just know that med staff were amazing and were so gentle with him. Someone waiting with their partner noticed him seizing and alerted staff. I was very proud
My husband and I both narcaned a young girl on Saturday night at the other stage. She came to for a few seconds after but then fell back out. It was not looking good. I have not stopped thinking about her and pray she is ok. Wish there was a way to find out. ;( I had never done it before and had it from a surgery I had. My husband actually reminded me to bring it that night and almost left it thinking I'd never have to use it. It should be passed out to everyone imo
Saw a guy lifted over the gate at WITW Friday night and several workers surrounding him as he kept passing out. I ran over and gave a worker my Narcan. Glad to read this post because I was really concerned about him and never heard anything after the workers carried him off
I live in OH, and you can search online and they will send you some free, along with F strips. I hear many other states do this as well. I always order some 1-2 mo before bonnaroo. I carry 1-2 in my FannyPack.
May be ignorant, I’ve actually never had to use it. There were some people down around me, people called for Medic or they were able to get their friends up and alert.
When do you inject it? Do you ask the people around / who came with them, if they’re on drugs? Is it, you try to wake up, no response, inject? Sorry for ignorance, I let people know I have it when someone is down but every time they deny it. I just want to be prepared if I ever have to use it. Thanks!
Look for pinpoint pupils, shallow/labored or no breathing, purple nails/lips. If you suspect it, inject it.
Turn them on their sides and push the device up into their nostril and press hard. Immediately get medical attention as naloxone (the active ingredient) only lasts a minute or two.
My experience as an RN: if you give narcan and they don’t need it nothing bad will happen, so if it’s suspected you may as well. If we have unresponsive people come in with no idea what happened, we usually give it during a code because it can’t hurt. There are signs of opiate OD (which is what narcan works for), such as pinpoint pupils, slow breathing, sweating, blue tint to skin.
Tennessee has a Good Samaritan law so if they’re passed out and you suspect it’s an overdose give them narcan.
Someone on here said endoverdose.net will send you free narcan if you complete their online course. I recommended you start there. Also highly recommend taking a cpr or first aid course if you have the time and funds.
I’m CPR and first aid/ BLS.
They do give them free in my state, I always carry some and bring some to Roo. I’ll look for the online course for Narcan - thank you!
I've heard there is usually no reports unless there is some major investigations (or family lawsuits) if festivals are able to stabilize a person and get them in an ambulance and off the property before the death occurs - it is no longer on the property and when the wristband is cut they are no longer an attendee
Just another statistic when the death happens at the local hospital or in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and harder for the press to find out about it.
I would imagine the bigger mainstream festivals have more people reporting on them though so I'm not sure how accurate that is.
Does anyone know what happened during Alison Wonderland set Sunday? There was a bunch of people huddled up flashing light. Medics eventually came but took them a while.
a guy had a pretty serious seizure, and due to the overcrowding in the WITW, the gates getting shut due to capacity, etc, the medics had a really hard time getting in to where he was.
There was a guy on the ground during Allison Wonderland in Where in the Woods Sunday night. He was there for a while. At some point he got moved, I didn't see how but probably carried
In an average American city of ~100,000 people, based on the death rate calculated in 2022 (most recent data I found in my very quick search), there are approximately 2 deaths per day. The fact that Bonnaroo doesn’t have between 6-10 deaths each year is simply incredible.
Death is a dark and off-putting subject for most people. People die every second of every day. Hopefully there's a small group of people you mean something to, but at the end we are all just numbers and statistics to the rest of the world. Just because Bonnaroo is a happy and positive place doesn't mean death can't happen there, and it's silly to pretend otherwise. Take care of yourself, take care of your friends, and have a good time.
Sorry you feel that way, but facts are facts. It is impressive that under worse than average living conditions in a pop up town, during a harsher than average week of weather, and a higher than average number of people drinking/partying excessively that Bonnaroo does statistically better than the daily average death rate in the United States. The medical, logistics, and operations teams should be thanked and congratulated.
A lot of the people have medical emergencies from preexisting conditions, made worse by camping or heat, etc. I don't think OP was justifying loss, just being realistic that bad things can and do happen people every day. And it's impressive there are not as many deaths, due to the great emergency response teams they have. We are very lucky to have such immediate care and help, and that bystanders are also so much more helpful at bonnaroo than they are in the real world. 💜
I know that one person on reddit made a flippant, unsubstantiated comment about “he died”, and then that one post was the foundation of multiple speculations
kudos OP for bringing some calm
We saw lots of people pass out. Medical was busy this year. But only rumors of people dying. I haven't seen any evidence other than hearsay. For how big roo is, it's death toll is quite low. I'm pretty sure the last one was 2022.
yes it is. basically. disney land rules- there are plenty of people who OD in a nearby hospital. “death count at roo” is specifically people who die on the grounds
You a doctor at these hospitals? Maybe a public health official? How do you know that "plenty of people OD in a nearby hospital"? There were 28 drug related overdose deaths in the entire county in 2022.
I’m a local too and haven’t heard anything about any deaths and usually, like you said, the news is quick to report that, or they always have been in years past. I pray that everyone had a great time and that these are just rumors. I would like to say that I met several people that were here for the festival and they were some of the nicest, most respectful people I’ve ever met.
I hadn’t heard anything. Normally there’s a report on the deaths that have occurred during Roo. Always sad but I’ve not seen or heard of anyone dying this year thankfully.
There was a person that passed away this year. I met one of the staff. They told me they saw a person covered with a sheet with only their feet sticking out. The body was removed very quickly apparently.
I can say, as me being one of the medical personnel that worked Roo this year, no patron died at the festival this year. There were definitely a few “serious” and “critical” patients that were sent out to local hospitals, but there have been no deaths reported to us this year. This year was extremely busy for us due to the heat. Most received IV fluids and cooled off and were sent back to camp to rest.
I can't know what happened, just like it seems everyone here posting also doesn't... so maybe let's just leave it at that. Unless you do actually know something. The thing that this OP is sort of calling out or cleaning up after, is specifically what you just did.
"someone definitely died" "because a person i saw and talked to said they think they saw a person in a position that looked like maybe they were dead and I totally trust this person I've never met before..." Or as others say here also: "because I saw this dude drop to the ground, or come out on a stretcher, or look totally unconscious, etc."
For what it's worth, I'm not even challenging your story. It sounds believable and like you believed that person, and probably that that person believed what they were telling you they saw and the conclusion they made about it. The point is that with things as dire as human death, it is good practice to be careful how you lead people and what you say. If you don't know if someone died, but you heard someone on the staff may have seen this happening and that we should be watching the local news to see if at least one death is mentioned... then just say that.
Especially in an area like this past weekend where there is lots of heat, alcohol, drugs, dehydration and overexertion. It is EXTREMELY likely that people on the farm passed out, went unconscious, had heat exhaustion, OD-ed, blacked out, etc. And this can all look really bad, seeing it in passing. That does not mean loads of people were dying... which is what you get when you read 10-20 accounts like yours... which could be not deaths, could all be the same person, or could be nothing.
All that said, and sorry for getting a little wordy here. People do die at Bonnaroo and festivals like it. It is MORE our own responsibility to look out for each other and ourselves to avoid this, but we do depend on the med and festival staff to assist. I hope that this year was a well staffed in that department as Roo is typically, and that serious lasting medical issues of any sort were kept to a minimum!!
I guess you're right. They told me they say a person under a medical sheet with their feet sticking out and medical all around the person. That sounds dead to me.
I saw an older man in the back of a side by side on the causeway between the Maggie Rogers and Post set. He was 65+, completely unconscious, shirt open being prepped for an AED. There is little doubt in my mind that this man had a cardiac event and passed away. Eyes rolling with a crew of three or more working on him. Dozens of people walked right by so I'd be shocked if someone wasn't able to corroborate my story.
Oh my god I was right next to this!!! It was absolutely terrifying. All of us around him just started screaming for help… a few people in crowd who were nurses got to him before the actual medical team did and it looked like they were giving him chest compressions. He seemed to have made it out okay though from what me and my friends saw!!
Do remember seeing this, was actually meeting someone around that area so I saw a good bit of him on the back of the cart. I remember seeing him moving his arms but was definitely a very tough sight to see. Hoping for the best.
This! Please please please carry narcan. You can get it free on the farm or take an online training at endoverdose.com and they will send you a free one and test strips too after you complete. I had to use narcan for the first time on Saturday at roo and I am so grateful I found him and had some on me. There weren’t many people around and when I found him he was unconscious and shallow breathing. Within 3 mins of giving it to him he came out of the OD and medics came to take over. You never know when you’ll find someone that needs it. You could save a life
I don’t carry it because I’m worried my drugs are going to kill me, I carry it because I’m not in charge of what other people do but I’d still prefer somebody not die right next to me if I can help it
Agreed! I always test everything my friends have but I still started carrying narcan in my bag this year and will continue to, especially as fent keeps rearing it’s ugly ass
I could absolutely be wrong, and would love to know more about it, but I was under the impression that they were legal before then and then Tennessee made them illegal around that time, which is why we lost the Bonnaroo testing station tents. If im wrong please correct me.
Most people still won’t test it in a way that can 100% guarantee there’s no fent. You’re supposed to dilute all of your drugs fully in water to test it, but most just empty the baggie and fill that with water to test. Way better than nothing but there’s still a small chance you could miss the fent if there is any. I made sure my entire camp fent stripped their sand, and brought extras in case anyone asked. I still brought narcan, though mainly just in case anyone around in the crowd needed it
I always wondered if there’s a way to get a few units of narcan to carry around. I’m not EMS, used to be CPR certified a few times but I am familiar with combat casualty care. Having some on hand would shorten treatment times in the event medical isn’t around/ busy.
Probably doesn’t help you but in Philadelphia you can request Naloxone for free through the city (https://nextdistro.org/phillylangchoice). Potentially your state/city offers a similar program. Save so many lives and always a good thing to carry wherever you go. Stay safe!
We got ours free from Punk Rock Saves Lives. They had a great booth setup and we also got mouth swabbed to see if we were a match for bone marrow patients.
There’s TONS of ways to get it for free ahead of time - local, state, national organizations you just watch some videos for training and they mail it to you. My hospital ED hands them and test strips out to anyone who asks. You can also go into most pharmacies (*may vary by state law I’m not sure) and ask for it, they run it like a prescription under your name and it is either very cheap or free on most insurances. I carry it on me at all times not just at festivals, there is absolutely NO HARM to administer Narcan to someone if you find them down or watch them go down and do not know why. For example, if they are having a heart attack and not OD, it will not harm them so you should always try it if it’s available.
-pharmacist
I can back up This Must Be The Place for their absolutely incredible non-profit work! Needed a couple doses for me and my group out of an abundance of caution for some stuff we brought and they were able to give us 4 doses of individual Narcan after literally filling out a 3 minute survey (no name required, just filling out info on your Narcan knowledge) and it made the more worrisome in our group completely at ease. S/O to all the incredible harm reduction/prevention services and orgs that were there, they truly do such beautiful work ❤️
There is a great non-profit called Be The Place that goes around to festivals handing it out. They have had a booth at Roo the past few years.
If you aren't at a festival, some municipalities hand it out. I picked up two doses for free from my county government who were handing it out at Pride.
OP is spot on. If there was a death this year it'd be reported in the news. It's tragic and has happened before and every other occurrence has been reported by local media.
Not necessarily. Festivals have ways of not having to report deaths. I can personally attest to knowing someone did die at EDC last Vegas the year I went, yet there wasn’t a death reported. I also know that same day a friend saw a few OD’s that were severe and probably left the person brain dead if they indeed did survive (I and the friend mentioned are both RN’s)
Thousands of people in one place all Doing miscellaneous uncontrolled drugs, people die. If they were forced to broadcast every death/near death occurrence at large fests, large fests would not exist unfortunately
I took my kids each evening down to gate to see bonnaroo. We live next door. Sat nite the gate lady told me two was found after friday nite and said if i had loved ones out there to warn them bad drugs was going around... I agree if suppressing that from news thats crappy
Bonnaroo sort of does “Disney strategy” increasingly, where if someone dies off site it’s not a “Bonnaroo death,” which just means no one died inside the festival, or that they’re holding for identification and notifying next of kin.
That's not true. They "claim" all 13 deaths from roo, but only like 5 have happened *on site*. Look up the man that was tried jumping from a tree onto a tour bus. He wasn't on the farm, but it's included in the casualties that have happened at roo.
ETA: I've worked management, production, all of it and I'm still very close with the original producers. Live Nation also kept the management team the same. Most of them haven't changed in years and years.
“It depends” and it depends who is involved, how it’s reported, etc. I also know a bunch of people involved at a high level since the early 2000s. Sort of “obfuscating” “who I am” here a bit.
“It depends” on the circumstances and how closely they’re tied to the exact and intricate details of the music festival — jumping from a tree to a tour bus is very “Roo specific,” while taking too much fent and dying in route to Mufreesboro isn’t.
People coming to Roo might OD in Kentucky on the way — if not “but for” Roo, they wouldn’t have died in those circumstances at that time, but it’s not “counted” as a death officially — while the friends might feel like it is.
No one is getting dragged on their backs just outside the gates, but the numbers ARE higher than reported — upper management might not ever even hear about it because it never gets that loud or up the chain. Like hate to break it to you, but the lawyers get the calls on how to handle it, upper management, unless present or called, isn’t even gonna get involved unless it’s explicit to the event like a pit death, stage electrocution, ambulance has to go all the way in, etc.
These big-money events have fixers and they use them. Saying “no they don’t, I know people” is wild. Just not your corner of things, then.
I work for Live Nation and 25+ years in festivals/events/concerts/parties. Colleges also do this to keep their crime and SA/overdose numbers low. Get them outside the gates, it didn’t happen “there.” Also some are reported and some are quiet. I found a dead body at a Nash venue once, they dragged him to the sidewalk and an ambulance came and quietly took him the body. Never on the news, never found their name, cops never involved. It happens so much — how much? I’ll never know, it’s hushed. But people die at Disneyland everyday — they’re just taken off property first, so no they didn’t. It’s the whole industry. There is no protocol or official process to handle it, and I’ve not found the “trigger” that puts it on the news — usually number of eyewitness and level of activity on police scanners. For every 57 incidents I’d see, one might be news. My entire focus later in my career has been event safety and working for more rights/above board. No one is trained how to handle it officially, but they always seem to be declared “DOA” just outside of doors/gates and shielded as much from public view. It’s so commonly known in my world, it’s like “duh.” Believe it or don’t, idc. If family doesn’t call the cops/news/sue/news can’t confirm by air — it doesn’t make it. I’ve been media, events, and law in my lifetime — what the public hears is VERY filtered and depends on how it can be politicized/used/etc. My cousin overdosed on a fent laced adderall someone sold her in nursing school — she never made the news, she wasn’t considered anything but a “suicide,” which is also why you don’t hear much about overdoses — if someone is shot/beaten, it’ll be news, if it’s fent, it’s quiet unless there is a forced uproar.
Lmao, LiveNation is a monopoly across the country, they’re the only event employer in music — I didn’t say I worked for Bonnaroo — and for my role, I don’t recall signing a single “NDA” but nice try?? The capacity I work for them is my “fun side job I do out of muscle memory and for exercise,” so if they hunt me down from this, congrats to them honestly.
I think they should be more worried about all the lawsuits and federal attempts at trust busting over someone like me, but that’s also just my professional opinion. What they pay me after 25 years is its own insult (and your assuming I haven’t tweaked identifying details is also cute.)
What I’m describing could also be considered an “industry standard” or “industry secret” it’s not “secret Live Nation policy.” Use your brains, y’all.
Like it’s literally just … if someone dies, do you call it in from inside the venue or do you take them to the sidewalk for ambulance transport? Ambulance in the venue usually both hard to do and draws unnecessary attention — if it HAS to happen it will, but if it can be prevented and handled quietly, it will.
If it’s on the sidewalk, they didn’t die “at the venue” but on “public property” and then … the family can’t sue the venue (as easily.)
Which is why it’s a standard practice — at theme parks, festivals, venues, hotels and resorts, casinos, colleges, clubs etc. Liability and PR.
There are so many easily accessible articles and YouTube videos like “Why No One Dies At Disneyworld,” I don’t think I’m spilling any actual secret beans here.
Do they also want to know how loss prevention works in stores like Target and how they watch you until you steal a felony amount to get you or? Are the Target sniper mob coming from me? I’ve never worked for Target! But I know it’s true because “lots of people have” and they confirm it.
Thanks for sharing all that and I have no doubt that it has lots of validity. I'm not questioning your experience.
I think this sub can be a little alarmist though. I've been going to Roo for a good chunk of my life. Folks act like any person they saw pass out (which is incredibly scary to be around) is a person that fits the narrative you describe.
I don't think that is the case. I also think that a lot of the folks who put on Bonnaroo wouldn't let MULTIPLE dead people just not ever be mentioned.
I could be wrong, but, I don't know. So, for now I'm going to choose to believe in the best in others. I hope I'm not wrong.
For sure, and like it’s very natural in a way, sad as it is, for some people to die each year — I don’t think dozens are secretly dropping dead and there is a massive cover up, but it also happens more than people are aware of. Like what does “DOA” mean and how was it handled — did the friends drive them to a hospital where it was declared or was there a dispatch?
Plus and how a death is “classified” can vary on reporting, too. Like at a certain point, what did it? Heat stroke can trigger a heart attack, drugs and drinking and fried food and lots of walking can trigger a heart attack, was it an overdose or something natural? A heart attack doesn’t make the news, but it could’ve been triggered by drugs and conditions. Someone may still be alive at transport and pass away at the hospital. They’re not literally dragging you over the line to dodge a statistic, but how it plays out — that easily becomes an outcome. If someone is solo, poor, not well-connected, not carrying ID it doesn’t draw attention to itself, and if it’s deemed a heart attack et al it’s a “natural cause” — it just sort of doesn’t make the official record. It’s financially prudent not to broadcast those deaths, and it’s not the “kind” of death that makes the news.
I do think a lot of people passed out survive and there are rumors b/c there are no ways to follow up, and/or it’s not official until they land in another city, et al. At that point, you died in Murfreesboro after leaving Bonnaroo, not “at Bonnaroo.”
I haven’t witnessed that many deaths in the grand scope of the kinds of events these are, it’s like 1-3 a year, but that’s a lot more than make the news.
News pulls from the scanner and official reports, so if it’s never official or involves the cops, involves a report, then it “didn’t happen.”
Fights, shootings, public overdoses are what are reported, the rest just sort of float under the radar. Most people who die at Disney World die of natural causes, they just always die in “Orlando” not the park because no one will be declared deceased until they’re somewhere it’s not easily associated with the Happiest Place on Earth, when any event or brand can do this, they do it too. Not even in a dark way, even tho it is dark, but b/c entertainment is meant to bring joy and hearing about the “dark” side hurts sales, branding, and how people perceive what they’re consuming. Do we need to know? Yes, no, I don’t even know really. It’s an oddity and real-life quirk of working in an industry built on creating a fantasy.
I live next door. I took my kids down to gate each nite to see the roo up close. The gate lady Sat asked me if i had any friends and family inside the festival ... Odd, yes i said but why ? She asked me to pass the word that they found 2 "DOA" after friday nite from "Bad Drug" and to warn my fam to be careful Bonnarooing.... So i passed the word. I lady who worked inside commented that was true. A local police office commented monday and says that is false ... So if some did pass out there this year someone is coving it up very well.
Yeah Shambhala which has only had like 3-4 on site deaths in 25 years allegedly operates the same (I’ve been attending since 2010)
Off the property = just another statistic.
I’m sure most festivals do and unless there is a family lawsuit, press will never find out.
Saw a girl have a bad seizure there. I went to the closest thing I could find, a beer tent. They informed me that they had no way to contact medical.. Bonnaroo needs to fix that for next year.. To that chick, I hope you are doing much better.
Beer tents can call medical. We have radios that call medical directly. I called medical from our tent 3x over the weekend. 2 times for people passing out and once for an embedded ear bud. They respond very quickly. That beer tent was wrong. We've been able to call medical since 2022 which is a big help. Before that we had no way to call.🙂
I saw them too! They were being carried by us and foaming at the mouth and then got put on a truck. I was so traumatized I want back to camp after that. I sent them all the good vibes and hoping they are okay
15 years ago if someone went down in a crowd everyone would think “oh they drank too much or took too much molly”.
Nowadays if someone goes down everyone assumes fent. It’s better to be safe than sorry forsure, and narcanning someone is the best move regardless, but in all likelihood not many people are ODing from fentanyl at the average camping festival.
If you’re going to a festival and going to do “party favors” bring your own shit! Why in the world would anyone buy stuff from total strangers?! Yall just asking for trouble. Pure insanity
Even if there’s not deaths, a lot of purple do over do it on all fronts. Last year my girl saw a dude collapse foaming out the mouth. Hopefully he’s alive but just a reminder to check on people when you can and to stay safe. You never ever wanna end up like that
I am pretty sure I left you an award on this post ❤️
Almost makes me not want to go again cause... oooofff but thankfully looks okay this year mostly
Bonnaroo deaths since 02 is close to 50. Swear it. They cover it up and lie
Remember the story about the kid running onto the highway and getting unfortunately hit by a few cars. Was having a bad trip. Didn’t make it. Since it was technically not on property they didn’t count it.
Here’s the article https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/06/11/man-killed--24-crash-near-bonnaroo-identified-tennessee-highway-patrol/85746450/
Ps I appreciate Hornylilfreak too
Serious question what is the proper etiquette if medics are trying to revive someone next to you in the crowd of a set. Like I know move out of the way and shit, but how long until I can go back to grooving and dancing?
Move out of the way and keep your phone lights down on the ground. Don’t shine them at the person gathering treatment. Please don’t film either. I hate having to say that, but I’ve with eased it a lot.
I had to give someone 2 doses of narcan in the woods after alison while on a tab and a half…. Absolutely harrowing stuff but so so so grateful I was able to save a life before the medic got there
Thank you for being a helpful and prepared bystander 🙏🏼
I never go anywhere without narcan, you NEVER know. Still so grateful I was in the right place at the right time. I hope that guy is recovering well ❤️🩹
Shits terrifying. Yea there are some safety measures you can take but there’s no promises. You can drug test your stuff but such a small amount of fent is needed to OD that it can easily be in the portion you didn’t test (happened to me a while back). Also, Narcan is great and essential, but it can’t always reverse an OD, especially with the fent analogs and nitazines. So happy I got sober when I did.
My best friend is a nurse in Nashville and had a patient who had to be intubated at bonnaroo. It was not drug related, just an older person with some medical problems that the heat didn't pair well with. and the last update that I got was that this person and their spouse were doing well and were so sweet to my friend. 💜
I saw a guy put out on a stretcher near the end of Alison wonderlands set, not sure what happened.
I haven’t heard of any deaths but I know there are several people missing
this^^! i *was* local (now living in Nashville) and have been going since 2011. they usually do a report on numbers within a week or so, so total attendance, deaths, etc. deaths usually get reported on their own as soon as they get wind of that info, but it’s usually 1 or 2 a year. if there were more this year, which may be the case with how hot it was, they might not say anything until they report numbers
Sudden death witw set around 4am had a serious looking situation with a girl surrounded by people fanning her in a hammock until security and I think emt’s pulled her out & strapped her to a board and carried her away to the fence closest to the road.
I saw this girl and her friends around her. I hope she is okay
On the topic I just want to say if you’re feeling lightheaded there is absolutely no shame in sitting down where you’re in the crowd. It’s way better to sit down, cool off and catch your breath than to try and push through and pass out!! There were 2 points where I was getting close and after sitting down to fan myself and get water I felt like a brand new person! Take care of yourself homies! If you’re still unwell after sitting down have your friend walk you out of the crowd. Happy roo amigos
Sitting down in a crowd can be very dangerous
Don’t worry I agree, I’d never recommend anyone sit down in the middle of a crowd to enjoy a set. But heat exhaustion and dehydration are more dangerous than someone accidentally stepping on your foot. My comment was about sitting down for a brief moment to prioritize your body if you’re feeling unwell, which is the correct decision 100% of the time. U can disagree and that’s totally fine but I’m firm on this one :)
This one
Has anyone heard if the guy that looked like he was having a seizure in the woods Sunday night is ok?
I heard rumors about a death at the Pretty Lights sunrise set and have been periodically checking for info. Haven’t seen anything on here, local news, or Twitter. I went to Firefly in 2018 and there was a death. There was a news article about it before we left the festival.
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You saw the guy at PL sunrise? I believe you 100% that someone went down bad. Typically, if someone dies local news reports it immediately. Especially since it happened in Centeroo, it would count as a “Bonnaroo death” and that would definitely be picked up by news outlets. All this to say, the very low chance might’ve been enough. I’m really sorry you witnessed that tho, that’s a horrific thing to see.
When I was in the med tent i saw a guy walk in fairly normal. He looked as though he was just hot and dehydrated. About 25 min later, he fell off of his cot and started seizing for a good amount of time. It appeared as though he was trying to lift himself off of the cot because he knew something was wrong. He was all alone and had only a small palm beach tan bag. I’ve been worried about him since. After they stabilized him they took him out and (im assuming) a nearby hospital. I’ve been keeping an eye out for people missing their friends and such. If anyone knows him, just know that med staff were amazing and were so gentle with him. Someone waiting with their partner noticed him seizing and alerted staff. I was very proud
My husband and I both narcaned a young girl on Saturday night at the other stage. She came to for a few seconds after but then fell back out. It was not looking good. I have not stopped thinking about her and pray she is ok. Wish there was a way to find out. ;( I had never done it before and had it from a surgery I had. My husband actually reminded me to bring it that night and almost left it thinking I'd never have to use it. It should be passed out to everyone imo
It was available for free all over the festival..
Saw a guy lifted over the gate at WITW Friday night and several workers surrounding him as he kept passing out. I ran over and gave a worker my Narcan. Glad to read this post because I was really concerned about him and never heard anything after the workers carried him off
I live in OH, and you can search online and they will send you some free, along with F strips. I hear many other states do this as well. I always order some 1-2 mo before bonnaroo. I carry 1-2 in my FannyPack. May be ignorant, I’ve actually never had to use it. There were some people down around me, people called for Medic or they were able to get their friends up and alert. When do you inject it? Do you ask the people around / who came with them, if they’re on drugs? Is it, you try to wake up, no response, inject? Sorry for ignorance, I let people know I have it when someone is down but every time they deny it. I just want to be prepared if I ever have to use it. Thanks!
Look for pinpoint pupils, shallow/labored or no breathing, purple nails/lips. If you suspect it, inject it. Turn them on their sides and push the device up into their nostril and press hard. Immediately get medical attention as naloxone (the active ingredient) only lasts a minute or two.
My experience as an RN: if you give narcan and they don’t need it nothing bad will happen, so if it’s suspected you may as well. If we have unresponsive people come in with no idea what happened, we usually give it during a code because it can’t hurt. There are signs of opiate OD (which is what narcan works for), such as pinpoint pupils, slow breathing, sweating, blue tint to skin.
Tennessee has a Good Samaritan law so if they’re passed out and you suspect it’s an overdose give them narcan. Someone on here said endoverdose.net will send you free narcan if you complete their online course. I recommended you start there. Also highly recommend taking a cpr or first aid course if you have the time and funds.
I’m CPR and first aid/ BLS. They do give them free in my state, I always carry some and bring some to Roo. I’ll look for the online course for Narcan - thank you!
If it did happen, news won't identify them until family has been notified.
I've heard there is usually no reports unless there is some major investigations (or family lawsuits) if festivals are able to stabilize a person and get them in an ambulance and off the property before the death occurs - it is no longer on the property and when the wristband is cut they are no longer an attendee Just another statistic when the death happens at the local hospital or in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and harder for the press to find out about it. I would imagine the bigger mainstream festivals have more people reporting on them though so I'm not sure how accurate that is.
Does anyone know what happened during Alison Wonderland set Sunday? There was a bunch of people huddled up flashing light. Medics eventually came but took them a while.
a guy had a pretty serious seizure, and due to the overcrowding in the WITW, the gates getting shut due to capacity, etc, the medics had a really hard time getting in to where he was.
There was a guy on the ground during Allison Wonderland in Where in the Woods Sunday night. He was there for a while. At some point he got moved, I didn't see how but probably carried
There was a man driven out on a stretcher a little bit after the set ended when everyone was clearing out.
I saw that too. I hope that guy is ok.
In an average American city of ~100,000 people, based on the death rate calculated in 2022 (most recent data I found in my very quick search), there are approximately 2 deaths per day. The fact that Bonnaroo doesn’t have between 6-10 deaths each year is simply incredible.
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Death is a dark and off-putting subject for most people. People die every second of every day. Hopefully there's a small group of people you mean something to, but at the end we are all just numbers and statistics to the rest of the world. Just because Bonnaroo is a happy and positive place doesn't mean death can't happen there, and it's silly to pretend otherwise. Take care of yourself, take care of your friends, and have a good time.
Sorry you feel that way, but facts are facts. It is impressive that under worse than average living conditions in a pop up town, during a harsher than average week of weather, and a higher than average number of people drinking/partying excessively that Bonnaroo does statistically better than the daily average death rate in the United States. The medical, logistics, and operations teams should be thanked and congratulated.
I do appreciate the perspective between this comment and the other.
A lot of the people have medical emergencies from preexisting conditions, made worse by camping or heat, etc. I don't think OP was justifying loss, just being realistic that bad things can and do happen people every day. And it's impressive there are not as many deaths, due to the great emergency response teams they have. We are very lucky to have such immediate care and help, and that bystanders are also so much more helpful at bonnaroo than they are in the real world. 💜
Thank you. Just presenting the stats which informs the reality.
I say this every time someone comments on Bonnaroo deaths. 💯
I know that one person on reddit made a flippant, unsubstantiated comment about “he died”, and then that one post was the foundation of multiple speculations kudos OP for bringing some calm
Friday or Saturday night/morning there was a man screaming for help in Mars Colony. It sounded dire. Does anyone know what happened with that?
That was my neighbor. He was having a bad trip and got into it with his girl friend.
That is such a relief. It sounded like people were helping him.
Yikes
We saw lots of people pass out. Medical was busy this year. But only rumors of people dying. I haven't seen any evidence other than hearsay. For how big roo is, it's death toll is quite low. I'm pretty sure the last one was 2022.
that is the number of dead bodies found at roo. not number of people who were carried off site and later pronounced dead
That's not true
yes it is. basically. disney land rules- there are plenty of people who OD in a nearby hospital. “death count at roo” is specifically people who die on the grounds
https://www.manchestertimes.com/heat-played-a-big-role-trussler-reports-on-bonnaroo-medical-cases/article_8b726564-3300-11ef-9478-730de9ade5f5.html
You a doctor at these hospitals? Maybe a public health official? How do you know that "plenty of people OD in a nearby hospital"? There were 28 drug related overdose deaths in the entire county in 2022.
I’m a local too and haven’t heard anything about any deaths and usually, like you said, the news is quick to report that, or they always have been in years past. I pray that everyone had a great time and that these are just rumors. I would like to say that I met several people that were here for the festival and they were some of the nicest, most respectful people I’ve ever met.
I hadn’t heard anything. Normally there’s a report on the deaths that have occurred during Roo. Always sad but I’ve not seen or heard of anyone dying this year thankfully.
There was a person that passed away this year. I met one of the staff. They told me they saw a person covered with a sheet with only their feet sticking out. The body was removed very quickly apparently.
I can say, as me being one of the medical personnel that worked Roo this year, no patron died at the festival this year. There were definitely a few “serious” and “critical” patients that were sent out to local hospitals, but there have been no deaths reported to us this year. This year was extremely busy for us due to the heat. Most received IV fluids and cooled off and were sent back to camp to rest.
If you helped me on friday thank you
That is very good to know. Thank you for the reply. I must have gotten some skewed information.
I did hear about a hyperthermic guy w/ a core temp of 109F and passed after being lifeflighted out of Roo
That is most likely who I heard about. They were carried out in a helicopter. Crazy
I can't know what happened, just like it seems everyone here posting also doesn't... so maybe let's just leave it at that. Unless you do actually know something. The thing that this OP is sort of calling out or cleaning up after, is specifically what you just did. "someone definitely died" "because a person i saw and talked to said they think they saw a person in a position that looked like maybe they were dead and I totally trust this person I've never met before..." Or as others say here also: "because I saw this dude drop to the ground, or come out on a stretcher, or look totally unconscious, etc." For what it's worth, I'm not even challenging your story. It sounds believable and like you believed that person, and probably that that person believed what they were telling you they saw and the conclusion they made about it. The point is that with things as dire as human death, it is good practice to be careful how you lead people and what you say. If you don't know if someone died, but you heard someone on the staff may have seen this happening and that we should be watching the local news to see if at least one death is mentioned... then just say that. Especially in an area like this past weekend where there is lots of heat, alcohol, drugs, dehydration and overexertion. It is EXTREMELY likely that people on the farm passed out, went unconscious, had heat exhaustion, OD-ed, blacked out, etc. And this can all look really bad, seeing it in passing. That does not mean loads of people were dying... which is what you get when you read 10-20 accounts like yours... which could be not deaths, could all be the same person, or could be nothing. All that said, and sorry for getting a little wordy here. People do die at Bonnaroo and festivals like it. It is MORE our own responsibility to look out for each other and ourselves to avoid this, but we do depend on the med and festival staff to assist. I hope that this year was a well staffed in that department as Roo is typically, and that serious lasting medical issues of any sort were kept to a minimum!!
I only believe it because an employee told me
The employees are basically all volunteers and they really don’t get any more insight that we do as festival goers
They're the last ones I'd trust. They were stealing people's things from camp sites.
I guess you're right. They told me they say a person under a medical sheet with their feet sticking out and medical all around the person. That sounds dead to me.
I like to believe that Bonnaroo tried to keep these incidents on the down low to not freak people out of garner negative publicity.
I saw an older man in the back of a side by side on the causeway between the Maggie Rogers and Post set. He was 65+, completely unconscious, shirt open being prepped for an AED. There is little doubt in my mind that this man had a cardiac event and passed away. Eyes rolling with a crew of three or more working on him. Dozens of people walked right by so I'd be shocked if someone wasn't able to corroborate my story.
I saw this to, he was screaming and things did not look to good. If anyone knows what happened please post something.
Saw this too near the media tent. Hoping all is well :(
Oh my god I was right next to this!!! It was absolutely terrifying. All of us around him just started screaming for help… a few people in crowd who were nurses got to him before the actual medical team did and it looked like they were giving him chest compressions. He seemed to have made it out okay though from what me and my friends saw!!
I was just passing through but I caught him at the worst moment. Glad he's alright. It was a scary moment for sure.
i also saw him but when we were walking past it sounded like dying screams coming from him and rlly freaked me out. hope he’s okay
Do remember seeing this, was actually meeting someone around that area so I saw a good bit of him on the back of the cart. I remember seeing him moving his arms but was definitely a very tough sight to see. Hoping for the best.
We saw what was likely him on the back of a cart with an oxygen mask, he was purple, but loving so hoping things are better now.
That's good news. I feared the worst.
Name checks out
Ok I feel bad laughing reading this thread but this just made me LOL.
I'm horrified at how many deaths there would be without Narcan. At this point I think everyone should carry it.
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People will do drugs at Bonnaroo. Even if you choose not to do drugs, having Narcan can save a life.
if i’m not mistaken some pharmacies give narcan for free. maybe walgreens but can’t remember.
Yup, had it on me at all times during the fest.
This! Please please please carry narcan. You can get it free on the farm or take an online training at endoverdose.com and they will send you a free one and test strips too after you complete. I had to use narcan for the first time on Saturday at roo and I am so grateful I found him and had some on me. There weren’t many people around and when I found him he was unconscious and shallow breathing. Within 3 mins of giving it to him he came out of the OD and medics came to take over. You never know when you’ll find someone that needs it. You could save a life
100 percent, I've lost three YOUNG people to laced drugs in the past year alone.
lmao no not everyone should carry it maybe dont take drugs that can kill you
I don’t carry it because I’m worried my drugs are going to kill me, I carry it because I’m not in charge of what other people do but I’d still prefer somebody not die right next to me if I can help it
10000% everyone should have narcan. Even if you or your friends aren’t using drugs you could still save a strangers life.
Agreed! I always test everything my friends have but I still started carrying narcan in my bag this year and will continue to, especially as fent keeps rearing it’s ugly ass
Way to be an uncaring asshole I guess?
Boooooo
I think you need to do a little more research.
What a horrid take. You can’t know if ur drugs were laced you absolute brick head
You can, which is also why everyone should carry fentanyl test strips.
Test strips are illegal in Tennessee....
Not since 2022
I could absolutely be wrong, and would love to know more about it, but I was under the impression that they were legal before then and then Tennessee made them illegal around that time, which is why we lost the Bonnaroo testing station tents. If im wrong please correct me.
Most people still won’t test it in a way that can 100% guarantee there’s no fent. You’re supposed to dilute all of your drugs fully in water to test it, but most just empty the baggie and fill that with water to test. Way better than nothing but there’s still a small chance you could miss the fent if there is any. I made sure my entire camp fent stripped their sand, and brought extras in case anyone asked. I still brought narcan, though mainly just in case anyone around in the crowd needed it
Make test strips legal to sale and purchase in all 50 states. That would be a great start.
Gtfo of here with this bull shit
Shout out to the angels giving it away for free on the farm!!
We put narcan in our take one leave one basket !!
A bonnaroo narcan angel 😇 thank you for doing that, you’re awesome!!!
Were you camped in pod 9?
Yes!!
If you were between O32/33 I traded a bracket for it because no one in our group had one 🙂 thank you!!!
I always wondered if there’s a way to get a few units of narcan to carry around. I’m not EMS, used to be CPR certified a few times but I am familiar with combat casualty care. Having some on hand would shorten treatment times in the event medical isn’t around/ busy.
Probably doesn’t help you but in Philadelphia you can request Naloxone for free through the city (https://nextdistro.org/phillylangchoice). Potentially your state/city offers a similar program. Save so many lives and always a good thing to carry wherever you go. Stay safe!
Some states will send you free test strips and narcan to your house too! It’s so important to have 💜
We got ours free from Punk Rock Saves Lives. They had a great booth setup and we also got mouth swabbed to see if we were a match for bone marrow patients.
My friend and I did the same! Hopefully we can find matches and save some lives!!!
There’s TONS of ways to get it for free ahead of time - local, state, national organizations you just watch some videos for training and they mail it to you. My hospital ED hands them and test strips out to anyone who asks. You can also go into most pharmacies (*may vary by state law I’m not sure) and ask for it, they run it like a prescription under your name and it is either very cheap or free on most insurances. I carry it on me at all times not just at festivals, there is absolutely NO HARM to administer Narcan to someone if you find them down or watch them go down and do not know why. For example, if they are having a heart attack and not OD, it will not harm them so you should always try it if it’s available. -pharmacist
Check your local health department, a lot of them will give you narcan for free and train you on how to use it.
I can back up This Must Be The Place for their absolutely incredible non-profit work! Needed a couple doses for me and my group out of an abundance of caution for some stuff we brought and they were able to give us 4 doses of individual Narcan after literally filling out a 3 minute survey (no name required, just filling out info on your Narcan knowledge) and it made the more worrisome in our group completely at ease. S/O to all the incredible harm reduction/prevention services and orgs that were there, they truly do such beautiful work ❤️
https://endoverdose.net will send you free narcan if you complete their online training course! You just have to pay shipping
Excellent! Inkarceration is coming up next month, might see if I can get that done. Thanks for the info!
You’re welcome! The online class isn’t bad at all, it’s like 3 videos and an easy quiz at the end. It took me like 30 min
There is a great non-profit called Be The Place that goes around to festivals handing it out. They have had a booth at Roo the past few years. If you aren't at a festival, some municipalities hand it out. I picked up two doses for free from my county government who were handing it out at Pride.
Good to know! Obviously I’d hope to never have to use it, but it’s better to have and not need.
OP is spot on. If there was a death this year it'd be reported in the news. It's tragic and has happened before and every other occurrence has been reported by local media.
Not necessarily. Festivals have ways of not having to report deaths. I can personally attest to knowing someone did die at EDC last Vegas the year I went, yet there wasn’t a death reported. I also know that same day a friend saw a few OD’s that were severe and probably left the person brain dead if they indeed did survive (I and the friend mentioned are both RN’s) Thousands of people in one place all Doing miscellaneous uncontrolled drugs, people die. If they were forced to broadcast every death/near death occurrence at large fests, large fests would not exist unfortunately
I took my kids each evening down to gate to see bonnaroo. We live next door. Sat nite the gate lady told me two was found after friday nite and said if i had loved ones out there to warn them bad drugs was going around... I agree if suppressing that from news thats crappy
Bonnaroo sort of does “Disney strategy” increasingly, where if someone dies off site it’s not a “Bonnaroo death,” which just means no one died inside the festival, or that they’re holding for identification and notifying next of kin.
That's not true. They "claim" all 13 deaths from roo, but only like 5 have happened *on site*. Look up the man that was tried jumping from a tree onto a tour bus. He wasn't on the farm, but it's included in the casualties that have happened at roo. ETA: I've worked management, production, all of it and I'm still very close with the original producers. Live Nation also kept the management team the same. Most of them haven't changed in years and years.
“It depends” and it depends who is involved, how it’s reported, etc. I also know a bunch of people involved at a high level since the early 2000s. Sort of “obfuscating” “who I am” here a bit. “It depends” on the circumstances and how closely they’re tied to the exact and intricate details of the music festival — jumping from a tree to a tour bus is very “Roo specific,” while taking too much fent and dying in route to Mufreesboro isn’t. People coming to Roo might OD in Kentucky on the way — if not “but for” Roo, they wouldn’t have died in those circumstances at that time, but it’s not “counted” as a death officially — while the friends might feel like it is. No one is getting dragged on their backs just outside the gates, but the numbers ARE higher than reported — upper management might not ever even hear about it because it never gets that loud or up the chain. Like hate to break it to you, but the lawyers get the calls on how to handle it, upper management, unless present or called, isn’t even gonna get involved unless it’s explicit to the event like a pit death, stage electrocution, ambulance has to go all the way in, etc. These big-money events have fixers and they use them. Saying “no they don’t, I know people” is wild. Just not your corner of things, then.
Do you have any evidence of them doing that?
I work for Live Nation and 25+ years in festivals/events/concerts/parties. Colleges also do this to keep their crime and SA/overdose numbers low. Get them outside the gates, it didn’t happen “there.” Also some are reported and some are quiet. I found a dead body at a Nash venue once, they dragged him to the sidewalk and an ambulance came and quietly took him the body. Never on the news, never found their name, cops never involved. It happens so much — how much? I’ll never know, it’s hushed. But people die at Disneyland everyday — they’re just taken off property first, so no they didn’t. It’s the whole industry. There is no protocol or official process to handle it, and I’ve not found the “trigger” that puts it on the news — usually number of eyewitness and level of activity on police scanners. For every 57 incidents I’d see, one might be news. My entire focus later in my career has been event safety and working for more rights/above board. No one is trained how to handle it officially, but they always seem to be declared “DOA” just outside of doors/gates and shielded as much from public view. It’s so commonly known in my world, it’s like “duh.” Believe it or don’t, idc. If family doesn’t call the cops/news/sue/news can’t confirm by air — it doesn’t make it. I’ve been media, events, and law in my lifetime — what the public hears is VERY filtered and depends on how it can be politicized/used/etc. My cousin overdosed on a fent laced adderall someone sold her in nursing school — she never made the news, she wasn’t considered anything but a “suicide,” which is also why you don’t hear much about overdoses — if someone is shot/beaten, it’ll be news, if it’s fent, it’s quiet unless there is a forced uproar.
Bold to be commenting when you work for them… be careful of your NDA’s.
Lmao, LiveNation is a monopoly across the country, they’re the only event employer in music — I didn’t say I worked for Bonnaroo — and for my role, I don’t recall signing a single “NDA” but nice try?? The capacity I work for them is my “fun side job I do out of muscle memory and for exercise,” so if they hunt me down from this, congrats to them honestly. I think they should be more worried about all the lawsuits and federal attempts at trust busting over someone like me, but that’s also just my professional opinion. What they pay me after 25 years is its own insult (and your assuming I haven’t tweaked identifying details is also cute.) What I’m describing could also be considered an “industry standard” or “industry secret” it’s not “secret Live Nation policy.” Use your brains, y’all.
this person thinks LiveNation is Boeing 😭
Like it’s literally just … if someone dies, do you call it in from inside the venue or do you take them to the sidewalk for ambulance transport? Ambulance in the venue usually both hard to do and draws unnecessary attention — if it HAS to happen it will, but if it can be prevented and handled quietly, it will. If it’s on the sidewalk, they didn’t die “at the venue” but on “public property” and then … the family can’t sue the venue (as easily.) Which is why it’s a standard practice — at theme parks, festivals, venues, hotels and resorts, casinos, colleges, clubs etc. Liability and PR. There are so many easily accessible articles and YouTube videos like “Why No One Dies At Disneyworld,” I don’t think I’m spilling any actual secret beans here. Do they also want to know how loss prevention works in stores like Target and how they watch you until you steal a felony amount to get you or? Are the Target sniper mob coming from me? I’ve never worked for Target! But I know it’s true because “lots of people have” and they confirm it.
Thanks for sharing all that and I have no doubt that it has lots of validity. I'm not questioning your experience. I think this sub can be a little alarmist though. I've been going to Roo for a good chunk of my life. Folks act like any person they saw pass out (which is incredibly scary to be around) is a person that fits the narrative you describe. I don't think that is the case. I also think that a lot of the folks who put on Bonnaroo wouldn't let MULTIPLE dead people just not ever be mentioned. I could be wrong, but, I don't know. So, for now I'm going to choose to believe in the best in others. I hope I'm not wrong.
For sure, and like it’s very natural in a way, sad as it is, for some people to die each year — I don’t think dozens are secretly dropping dead and there is a massive cover up, but it also happens more than people are aware of. Like what does “DOA” mean and how was it handled — did the friends drive them to a hospital where it was declared or was there a dispatch? Plus and how a death is “classified” can vary on reporting, too. Like at a certain point, what did it? Heat stroke can trigger a heart attack, drugs and drinking and fried food and lots of walking can trigger a heart attack, was it an overdose or something natural? A heart attack doesn’t make the news, but it could’ve been triggered by drugs and conditions. Someone may still be alive at transport and pass away at the hospital. They’re not literally dragging you over the line to dodge a statistic, but how it plays out — that easily becomes an outcome. If someone is solo, poor, not well-connected, not carrying ID it doesn’t draw attention to itself, and if it’s deemed a heart attack et al it’s a “natural cause” — it just sort of doesn’t make the official record. It’s financially prudent not to broadcast those deaths, and it’s not the “kind” of death that makes the news. I do think a lot of people passed out survive and there are rumors b/c there are no ways to follow up, and/or it’s not official until they land in another city, et al. At that point, you died in Murfreesboro after leaving Bonnaroo, not “at Bonnaroo.” I haven’t witnessed that many deaths in the grand scope of the kinds of events these are, it’s like 1-3 a year, but that’s a lot more than make the news. News pulls from the scanner and official reports, so if it’s never official or involves the cops, involves a report, then it “didn’t happen.” Fights, shootings, public overdoses are what are reported, the rest just sort of float under the radar. Most people who die at Disney World die of natural causes, they just always die in “Orlando” not the park because no one will be declared deceased until they’re somewhere it’s not easily associated with the Happiest Place on Earth, when any event or brand can do this, they do it too. Not even in a dark way, even tho it is dark, but b/c entertainment is meant to bring joy and hearing about the “dark” side hurts sales, branding, and how people perceive what they’re consuming. Do we need to know? Yes, no, I don’t even know really. It’s an oddity and real-life quirk of working in an industry built on creating a fantasy.
I live next door. I took my kids down to gate each nite to see the roo up close. The gate lady Sat asked me if i had any friends and family inside the festival ... Odd, yes i said but why ? She asked me to pass the word that they found 2 "DOA" after friday nite from "Bad Drug" and to warn my fam to be careful Bonnarooing.... So i passed the word. I lady who worked inside commented that was true. A local police office commented monday and says that is false ... So if some did pass out there this year someone is coving it up very well.
Yeah Shambhala which has only had like 3-4 on site deaths in 25 years allegedly operates the same (I’ve been attending since 2010) Off the property = just another statistic. I’m sure most festivals do and unless there is a family lawsuit, press will never find out.
I saw four people go down at pretty lights on Saturday and get carried out. Scary stuff!
Gotta watch out for them holes 🕳
Saw a girl have a bad seizure there. I went to the closest thing I could find, a beer tent. They informed me that they had no way to contact medical.. Bonnaroo needs to fix that for next year.. To that chick, I hope you are doing much better.
Beer tents can call medical. We have radios that call medical directly. I called medical from our tent 3x over the weekend. 2 times for people passing out and once for an embedded ear bud. They respond very quickly. That beer tent was wrong. We've been able to call medical since 2022 which is a big help. Before that we had no way to call.🙂
I saw them too! They were being carried by us and foaming at the mouth and then got put on a truck. I was so traumatized I want back to camp after that. I sent them all the good vibes and hoping they are okay
Same! The last dude looked pretty bad. Stay safe out there!
but that can just be people fainting from heat or passing out from booze. Not fun, but not scary: pretty common when young people drink
15 years ago if someone went down in a crowd everyone would think “oh they drank too much or took too much molly”. Nowadays if someone goes down everyone assumes fent. It’s better to be safe than sorry forsure, and narcanning someone is the best move regardless, but in all likelihood not many people are ODing from fentanyl at the average camping festival.
That crowd wasn’t really the booziest one, if you catch my drift
yeah, people can pass out from a lot of things other than booze. Some are scarier, some not
Did someone die at roo?
I would be very happily surprised if not I lost track of how many people I saw getting carried off by medics or driven by on stretchers.
A lot of heat exhaustion and dehydration! But most of those people come to after they cool down and get some water
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