Bonnaroo, Say It With Me: kuh-LAHY-uh-pee

Kalliope, pronounced kuh–lahy–uh-pee, is the eldest of the Greek Muses, who presides over music, eloquence, and epic poetry. It is also the name for one of the most marvelous traveling stages ever seen. We recently got to take some time to ask the crew over at Walter Productions about Kalliope’s triumphant return, and, boy, do we ever have good news!

For those of you heading to your first Bonnaroo or who first attended the festival in 2017, Kalliope is a wondrous stage that has, historically, played home to late night EDM sets. It hosts a variety of artists, from little or unknown to festival headliners. They release a very limited schedule, if one is released at all, and the only way to know who is playing when is through whispers and rumors throughout the campground. It has played home to the likes of GRiZ, Skrillex, Mija, Cherub, and so many other artists I could never name them all, and it is coming back to The Farm ready for another round of good times.

Q: How long does it take set the whole thing set up once you arrive on site?

A: 3-4 Days

Q: Do you guys know where Kalliope will be living this year? Centeroo vs campground?

A: Will be in Centeroo. Precise placement still in development

Q: How many people will it take to man the stage throughout the festival?

A: We are still working through programming times and content which will determine the crew size. Probably 35-50 in total between both areas.

Q: I know Big Red will be back; will any other members of the Walter team be coming to Bonnaroo?

A: Big Red’s Garage will be back this year and several of the Walter Productions Crew. We are still working through creative elements for both and yet to determine.

Q: Are sunrise sets planned, or at least a possibility?

A: This is a possibility :)

Q: How high do the flames shoot into the air?

A: 45 feet

Q: Has anything changed with Kalliope in its year off from Bonnaroo?

A: She has recently received a complete overhaul on the sound system and mixer. We can now mix full bands live. There are also a few other fun surprises in store.

The Walter crew is not currently authorized to release any other information about potential artists or what time the stage will open up each day, but the information we got has me super excited. In case you missed it, let me remind you one more time that Kalliope has been upgraded and CAN NOW MIX FULL BANDS. Those of you that have considered Kalliope the scourge of your Bonnaroo because they ended the late-night jam band set, rejoice, for when they return to The Farm this June they are prepared to come out swinging and blow you away. This does not guarantee that there will be epic late-night jam sessions, but it means that they are bringing that option to the table. The ball will mostly be in Bonnaroo’s court to make that a reality with scheduling.

Many of us have been wondering, with Kalliope returning, what will become of The Other? Remember The Other, the tent gone stage that hosted all of the late-night and EDM acts last year? Is it possible that this new Kalliope upgrade could mean that it will be sharing in the late-night fun, and rolling in something other than just EDM? Only time will tell, especially when we are all reminded that Kalliope is very limited on actual scheduling artists, making almost all of its sets a surprise. Anything — and I mean ANYTHING — could happen.