Bonnaroo is about to get drenched in Faygo.
Detroit rap crew Insane Clown Posse has been tapped for Tennessee’s massive music festival, appearing toward the top of the bill alongside diverse acts like country singer Luke Combs, pop star Olivia Rodrigo, EDM duo Justice, and many more.
Not too bad for a scrappy group from the D whose devoted Faygo-loving fans the Juggalos were classified by the FBI as a “gang” — a label the band and its supporters have vehemently denied, taking their fight all the way to Washington.
In an interview with Consequence, Brad Parker of festival booking partner C3 Presents explained why ICP belonged at the festival.
“People were really excited about the ICP booking on social media, and here’s what I’ll say: The fun thing about Bonnaroo as a brand is that we don’t fit into any box,” Parker said. “That gives us the freedom to get quirky and weird whenever we want to. Insane Clown Posse, to me, is one of those bookings we make every year that appeals to a very niche subculture. But for us, it’s also an opportunity to give our fans something that challenges them — to step out of their comfort zone in a space where they feel safe.”
Of course, ICP has its own successful festival: the Gathering of the Juggalos, which is set to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year in Thornville, Ohio.
“My hope isn’t necessarily that we’re going to get a ton of ICP fans who wouldn’t otherwise come to Bonnaroo, but if they do show up, that’s amazing,” Parker added. “What I really hope for is that people who are already coming to the show will trust us and say, ‘Hey, if they’re booking this, it’s at least worth checking out once in my lifetime.’ Like, GWAR last year was a great example of this idea working. Every year, we’ll have something a little bit of a novelty, a booking that might not seem to fit with the rest of the lineup, but that’s completely intentional on our part. We love having stuff like that.”
Bonnaroo is June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee. Tickets are now available from bonnaroo.com.
