Bonnaroo, Twitter Partner for New ‘Wish Granting’ Service
After announcing their lineup on Twitter this year, Bonnaroo and the social media giant will spread more magic across the farm in Manchester, Tennessee this weekend: The pair have announced live Q&As with artists like Earth, Wind and Fire and Houndmouth, as well as activations like #RooWish, a new program designed to fulfill select festivalgoers’ wishes.
#RooWish was borne out of a pilot program AC Entertainment — the co-producer of Bonnaroo, alongside co-creators Superfly — launched last year with the winner of the Bonnaroo Hackathon. Within the Bonnaroo app, attendees will be able to tweet out a wish — anything from water or food to backstage passes — that festival reps on the ground will select and grant.
“Of course the most obvious of wishes is to watch a show from the front row or get the chance to meet an artist,” Jeff Cuellar, vice president of strategic partnerships at AC Entertainment, tells Rolling Stone. “However, the best way to get our attention is to be creative and at least be somewhat realistic with your wish.”
For those who aren’t able to #RooWish themselves backstage, Bonnaroo has prepped a number of ways for fans and festivalgoers to follow the behind-the-scenes action. Exclusive footage and tours of the festival and campgrounds will be available through Periscope, while popular Vine users Darius Benson and IMapub will be documenting Bonnaroo in six-second snippets from all areas of the festival. Two Twitter Mirrors — customized tablets programmed to take photos at VIP events — will also be in use in various backstage areas.
“One of the most powerful aspects of a music festival is the large-scale, shared experience that it provides everyone in attendance,” says Neal Cohen, director of social media community at Superfly. “The moment that we saw Periscope, it was clear that this would be a meaningful way to bring people who can’t physically be at Bonnaroo closer to what it feels like for festival attendees in a truly live fashion. Also, the festival is always striving to build a bridge between the artists and fans.”
Tove Lo, MØ, Brownout Band, Gramatik, Strand of Oaks, the Wind and the Wave, Soja and Hurray For The Riff Raff will also participate in live Q&As. Fans at home will be able to follow the sessions on the Twitter and Bonnaroo handles, and via Twitter’s latest acquisition, Periscope, a live video streaming app. Per Twitter Music’s Matt Plotnik, Twitter and Bonnaroo will continue to tweet out the complete roster of artists who will be hosting Q&As throughout the week.
“Next year will mark the 15th anniversary of Bonnaroo,” Cohen says. “Every year the magic that is created over a few days on The Farm in Tennessee is a force that cannot be denied for anyone who comes out to the festival. These types of activations allow the incredible stories of what happens here to carry further than every before. That’s what will ensure that the excitement and vitality of Bonnaroo continues on for many years to come.”