Pearl Jam is set to headline the festival as part of a 2016 tour, two industry sources told Consequence of Sound. A representative for Bonnaroo wouldn’t confirm or deny that the band would headline, but an image posted to Reddit this morning seems to confirm the band will appear at the festival.
The image, a screengrab of an email regarding the Bridgestone arena, reads “Pearl Jam will not be playing here next year. They have opted to play at Bonnaroo instead.” Apparently the image original contained the emailer’s contact information, which has since been removed.
The lineup for the festival won’t be officially announced until next year, but a series of clues posted on the Bonnaroo Instagram have given fans some indications. So far the clues have hinted that Blood Orange, Jason Isbell, and Lucius will appear at the 2016 festival.
It seems that 2016 is shaping up to be a good year to be a Pearl Jam fan. We reported back in August that the band is working on its 11th album, with the last released being 2013’s Lightning Bolt. No details have been announced regarding the album’s release date, but if the band is planning to tour to support the record, it seems it will be out before the summer.
Bonnaroo 2016 will take place from June 9 to 12 at the same place it has always been held since the festival’s 2002 inception, Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennessee. The 2015 festival drew over 80,000 attendees and was headlined by Billy Joel, Mumford and Sons, Kendrick Lamar, and deadmau5.
This won’t be Pearl Jam’s first time playing Bonnaroo, but it has been quite a while. The band last appeared at the festival in 2008.
