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!!
Post by Funky Munky on Mar 15, 2010 3:18:55 GMT -5
This will be my first Bonnaroo and my wife and I have already bought VIP tickets. I'm meeting up with some friends that have been before and said that if I'm taking my wife I'd be an ass to not go VIP. My question is the vibe significantly different in VIP vs. GA? I'm sure living is a bit better due to the facilities but how about the party scene? Security? General atmosphere? I know some of this is a bit vague and there isn't much I can do about it now anyway I'm just curious.
i've done GA twice and VIP once. party favors are easier to find in GA but the people we met in VIP were friendlier and very laid back. did GA last year and ended up camping next to a bunch of very annoying pill slingers. when i camped in VIP we hardley got searched going into centeroo. if you can afford it, VIP is worth it for the showers, bathroom and easy access to centeroo. as far as partys go, i remember walking by a very hoping beer pong table in VIP.
If VIP and GA were hotels. VIP would be a Hilton and GA would be a motel 6. Bonnaroo's VIP is the best VIP package I've ever seen. No one comes close to it.
It's ok, Our friends camped in the vip. We got in on the last couple days of the festival, we assured the guard there we would be no trouble and that he could see us, ( they were the people camped right by the what stage entrance/exit.) He really could see us and we explained that we were camped in BFE and our friends are just right there. There was a lot of robberies in the VIP that year so I am really surprised he was nice enough to let us in. You still have to walk forever to get to the bathrooms and then wait forever. The grass and the closeness to everything in VIP is nice. Not being crowded as much was awesome too. However, I personally think the VIP thing is not worth it. Nothing is worth that much for four days.
Last year we had no problems at all and heard nothing of any thefts. Everyone around us left everything wide open the entire time. Also, security was really on it and we were constantly checked for our VIP wristbands. Restrooms and shower trailers were very close, shade throughout the place.
Very much worth it, and like biglou said it's the best VIP package of any festival that I've attended.
Post by makisupamerican on Apr 7, 2010 12:46:39 GMT -5
VIP is what you make of it. This will be my 3rd year in VIP and we always roll with a large group of friends and we have a blast, but we could have fun anywhere, maybe even in a Staten Island Bingo Hall. I have camped in GA way out in BFE, so I have experience in both. I prefer VIP immensely. We roll up to Coffee County Highschool at 10am on Thursday and have had our campsite set up by 1pm the latest- no real long line to speak of (this is worth $100 to me, I have had friends wait 8 hours to get in via the GA line and time is money). In VIP its up to you how social you want to be, meet everyone around you or keep to yourself. GA tends to be a clusterfuck-landgrab, tents upon tents, easy for the wasted to tramp on your stuff as they search for their site or are just rambling on thru. VIP spray paints an area for each car/RV so no rush to grab a sufficiently sized site. Plenty of space and ease of set up = $50ish. AIR CONDITIONED AND MAINTAINED BATHROOMS and WARM SHOWERS= at least $100 for the four days. I dont have to tell you how refreshing a shower is after several hot hours out in the sun and dust. The short walk to the tents and What stage may be my favorite aspect. The farthest VIP campsite is closer than 95% of GA. Example: 1:30pm Which Stage "A band I want to see" and at 3:30pm at The Other Tent "Another band I want to see", however I could use to grab a bite to eat, two beers a shot and some water, I can easily make it back to site, make a sandwhich, slug some Jameson and make it to The Other Tent in time. 10-15minute walk time from stages to camp. My year in GA it took me 45minutes to walk to the stages and longer as I was exhausted heading back to camp. = I can see MORE MUSIC, which if thats "your thing", maximizes your ticket value. $ no price on great sets of live music.
Add the air conditioned lounges, hardly any lines into Centeroo, private Hill and Bleachers, free beer and party on Thursday night and some other shit I forgot about and it makes the $700ish ticket price more than worth it.
Post by hailboognish on Apr 10, 2010 23:26:45 GMT -5
We've done 4 years in GA and 3 years in VIP. We will never go back to GA again, everything is just so much easier in VIP. To me next to the easy-in on thursday, the absolute best part is the ability to skip out on the huge lines getting into the entrance between what and which. Yeah every once in a while it might get backed up a little (the Tool year comes to mind), but it's nothing like the herd of people we get to walk right past.
My friends waited from 12 am Thursday until almost 2pm. That was coming from NC. .....I don't know personally bout the theft, but that was what I heard from friends we had made over there. We are decent people! (always a plus) The bathrooms were far away..... the wait for the air conditioned toilet is not a short or unakward one... but it is great inside the air conditioned lounge! lol. VIP is home to some really nice people and you will meet some great characters over there. Low maintenance crew is the way to go no matter where you camp.
I think we have to wait and see if GA also gets RFID bracelets to be able to draw any conclusions as to why they are using them now.
I would say security is a little better in VIP than GA however you still need need to use common sense such as not leaving anything valuable out where someone could get to it.
We've had no problems with theft in three visits to the farm. But we also use good sense and lock up cameras and other stuff out sight in the car. But coolers full of beer and food go unmolested. My experience has been that people are so willing to share if you ask that theft would be just mean.
Post by spacemanspliff on Jun 1, 2010 18:23:54 GMT -5
I think that the RFID are there to make things a little more convenient and 'exclusive'. In the past i've heard of people getting fake VIP creds that they were able to pass off at unsuspecting staff, not so easy to do with RFID (not impossible, but much more difficult). Also, with the new VIP tent in Centeroo, they probably wanted an easy way to not only visually verify but electronically verify that you should be allowed into whatever area.
RFID will likely only make things visibly safer insofar as keeping out people with fake bands...
I've done GA once and VIP four times- I always kept special things locked up but NEVER felt unsafe or had anything even messed with in VIP (can't say the same for GA). People around you are generally less guarded and more relaxed and watch out for your stuff. VIP tends to skew older and even with a few scattered families.
Biglou's comparison is spot-on! My 1st two 'Roos, I camped in GA: it was tolerable. (I brought my own solar shower & portable toilet.) Never had problems with theft...neighbors shared everything except space.
Last time, I was in media VIP camping behind the Which Stage: we had steaks, premium liquor, lots o' goodies, much more room ...and SHADE TREES. Let me compare the vibe between the two: VIP is an older college kid who knows how to handle the liquor (etc.) whereas GA can be a teenager who skipped their AD/HD meds and gets loud & rambunctious. Just depends on what kinda scene you prefer.
Biglou's comparison is spot-on! My 1st two 'Roos, I camped in GA: it was tolerable. (I brought my own solar shower & portable toilet.) Never had problems with theft...neighbors shared everything except space.
Last time, I was in media VIP camping behind the Which Stage: we had steaks, premium liquor, lots o' goodies, much more room ...and SHADE TREES. Let me compare the vibe between the two: VIP is an older college kid who knows how to handle the liquor (etc.) whereas GA can be a teenager who skipped their AD/HD meds and gets loud & rambunctious. Just depends on what kinda scene you prefer.
media vip behind the stage is different than paid VIP.. Paid VIP gets the better bathrooms/showers, the VIP viewing area etc..
Guest camping (behind the stage) get the guest viewing area, the backstage guest compound, backstage guest camping/parking (if you have car passes, not everyone who gets a guest pass gets car passes)..
My husband has a press pass and and we go every year with the guest passes.. however when our friends camp paid vip, we can't use our guest passes to go into vip camping and hang at their tent... and they can't come backstage to the guest compound with their vip bracelets..
so it's a bit different... only because the regular vip is paid, and the guest area is comp's
My husband has a press pass and and we go every year with the guest passes.. however when our friends camp paid vip, we can't use our guest passes to go into vip camping and hang at their tent... and they can't come backstage to the guest compound with their vip bracelets..
Obviously security didn't know this. Our friends who had Guest passes came over to my tent in VIP quite often.
sunday night, when it all goes to shit, some wooks from GA had invaded VIP and were singing some rabble rousing songs outside our campsite.... mainly saying how we all sucked, blah blah
fortunately, no one encouraged them by shouting back...
anyway, that was the only time i thought - huh, i wish i had put that "whatever" in the car...
Post by tangerinetrees on Jun 17, 2010 14:44:52 GMT -5
I personally LOVED LOVED LOVED the GA vibes. There were ppl just coming in shmoking with us, others trying to sell us stuff that I didn't think I need until then I saw lots AND LOTS of people totally blitzed and I love it - GET WASTEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
so many people let their freak flag fly way high. I LOVE U BONNAROO
Is it impossible to find tent-to-tent vendors in VIP? I enjoyed the convenience of having salesfolk come to me in GA -- it saved a lot of fruitless searching before a show, the most annoying thing to do at Bonnaroo!
Post by klimfactor on Feb 21, 2011 17:21:51 GMT -5
I've done VIP three years running, and you may be out of luck on that front. I'm sure there are some vendors, but they haven't happened by my tent in my time in VIP.
Is there still a discount on drinks for the VIP section? I remember it being offered a few years ago but haven't seen it recently mentioned. If so, is it only offered in the VIP area or does it work with any vendor?
There is a VIP party on Thursday. Free beer and food plus a performance by a "special guest". Last year was Big Sam's Funky Nation and in 08 it was Dr. Dog.
