The Students Shaping the Future of Bonnaroo

How Bonnaroo U turns students into trusted advisors for Live Nation

When it comes to putting on a festival as big as Bonnaroo, understanding the fanbase is critical to delivering a top-tier experience. So, when Live Nation regroups after the festival each year and needs insight onthe culture, opinions and boots-on-the-ground experience of Bonnaroovians, they look no further than Belmont’s Bonnaroo U class.  

Once a year, this select group of music loving students becomes one of Live Nation’s most trusted and informed group of advisors, bringing the production team personal stories and empirical data for the planning of next year’s festival.

A Partnership Nearly Ten Years in the Making 

The Bonnaroo U class began as a shared dream between Drs. Sarita Stewart, professor of media and entertainment industries, and Ken Spring, associate professor of media and entertainment industries.Longtime festivalgoers and industry experts themselves, these professors saw an opportunity in Bonnaroo for their teaching to escape the classroom. What if they could leverage the festival to give students a taste of what they’d been learning in the real world? 

“The program demonstrates how valuable it is when education and industry work together,” Shelby Goodsell said, Bonnaroo festival director at Live Nation. “I’m a huge advocate for giving students access and experience early on.” 

The dynamic duo of Spring and Stewart enlivens the class with both energy and expertise. Spring’s presence and candor in class are magnetic, bringing a freshness to sociological theory that challenges and entertains. As an entertainment industry veteran, Stewart draws from her decades of experience in both the teaching and design of Bonnaroo U.  

Now, in the eighth year of their course, Bonnaroo U has become a Curb College institution and has inspired similar experiential learning models at other universities. 

Four Days on the Farm 

Bonnaroo U teaches students how sociology interacts with the entertainment industry, specifically through the way that studying a fanbase can inform future decisions for the surrounding music business. Before the students set foot on festival grounds, they spend class periods learning research methods and how to build a model of the average audience member at Bonnaroo. 

“When students present their findings back to Live Nation after the festival, they are able to explain both how and why fans like what they like,” Stewart said. “This understanding leads to cultural forecasting and brings enormous value to the future of Bonnaroo.” 

Before heading to Bonnaroo, students sharpen their interviewing and data collection skills at CMA Fest, giving them a lower-stakes environment to practice before conducting research on the Farm. 

By the time Bonnaroo itself arrived this year, the students showed up to the Farm in Manchester, TN well-equipped for the work ahead of them. From striking up casual conversations to actively seeking out interesting attendees, the class conducted over 300 interviews and made connections with industry professionals. 

“Going in, it felt intimidating to approach well established journalists,” junior journalism major Samantha Graessle said. “However, through my conversations in the press tent, I found that everyone was friendly and encouraging, which gave me more confidence to get my foot in the door.” 

Over the course of four days, students balanced research with immersion, experiencing the festival as both attendees and observers gathering insights around the clock. 

“At 8 a.m. when I was getting my coffee or 1 a.m. leaving a set, there were always staff members around to greet and guide,” senior music business major Saniah Mitchell said. “Volunteers were constantly working the site.” 

Bringing it Home 

To continue the experiential learning, Stewart and Spring count the students’ Live Nation presentations as the final project in lieu of an exam or paper. For Bonnaroo U, this is where the rubber meets the road. 

“The students’ presentations have helped inform new ideas and validate decisions our teams may already have been considering from year to year,” Goodsell said. “The insight they bring is difficult to collect through traditional research alone and gives us a deeper understanding of how fans are experiencing the festival in real time.” 

The first group to present this year was affectionately known as the “Fab Five” and delivered their findings through a film they produced from start to finish. Taught by Fielder Dennis, instructional media producer, this group received special instruction in visual storytelling prior to the festival and was comprised of students interested in multimedia. 

The film synthesized student observations across fashion, community, art and music culture, offering another lens through which Live Nation could evaluate the attendee experience. 

Each subsequent group concluded their presentations with recommendations to the Live Nation team based on their data and experience at the festival. These ranged anywhere from artist suggestions to methods of communication and even a desire for the return to physical media and pamphlets.  

“As festival director, a major part of my responsibility is ensuring that everyone remains aligned around the festival’s goals, values and overall vision,” Goodsell said. “Our teams benefit from the students’ energy, research and fresh perspectives.” 

As aspiring entertainment industry professionals, Bonnaroo U’s real-world experience offers its students a glimpse of where their paths may one day lead. 

“My dream job is to work in festival development, so getting to experience Bonnaroo after my Belmont classes proved that I am in the right place heading towards the right career,” Mitchell said. “For the month of June, I got to envision my future.” 

Graessle echoed a similar sentiment. 

“It felt so rewarding to see our work presented on the big screen,” she said. “The Live Nation executives asked engaging questions, and it was exciting to know that our input may be considered for future festivals.”