Organizers

10 year anniversary of silent disco at Bonnaroo

As Silent Events prepares for another exciting year producing Bonnaroo’s silent disco, we are taking a look back at how the festival and silent discos have evolved.  The silent disco concept first appeared in 2005 at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, where Ryan Dowd, creator and owner of Silent Events, was put in charge of running the silent disco.  Thanks to Dowd’s resounding success, he has been brought back year after year to produce what is being called “the most exciting attraction of Bonnaroo.”

Last year USA Today named Bonnaroo’s silent event one of the seven reasons you’ll wish you were at the festival, writing, “The silent disco is awesome. Take it from personal experience: This small tent packs some big fun.” Crave Online tabbed the silent disco as one of the festival’s events that was “bound to bring an endless stream of fun outside the beaten path of the standard festival fare.” These publications, along with many others, have brought recognition to one of the most fun and unique aspects of the festival.

As this year’s silent disco marks the 10-year anniversary of Bonnaroo’s silent disco, the line up promises even more fun. In true Bonnaroo style, artists such as DJ Prince Hakim, DJ Logic, Tiki Disco, and Matoma will provide the beats from early afternoon until early morning.

The festival’s silent disco has been the site for a number of amazing sets by some of the festival’s biggest name over the last decade. Blues Traveler frontman John Popper and DJ Logic collaborated for an excellent daytime set in 2010. Also on the farm for a performance with his group Foster the People, Mark Foster got the crowd movingduring the 2012 edition. And DJ Jazzy Jeff, known by many for his work with Will Smith, treated Bonnaroovians to a memorable set in 2013.

When fans enter the silent disco tent, the sights and sounds of 600 people dancing and singing to “silence” welcome them and set the table for hours of fun. For 10 years, Silent Events has been powering that fun, and the event has gotten better and better each year. The 2015 Bonnaroo silent disco promises to continue that trend.