Bonnaroo is a festival known as much for its outdoor camping on a functioning Tennesse farm (and the hippie vibe that comes with it) as for its performances (this year they include Solange, Kacey Musgraves, Cardi B, and Brandi Carlisle). And now, they're adding something new to the mix: a Sanctuary of Self Love, curated by Hayley Williams of Paramore. And as the name suggests, it's all about self-care.
"It's hard to be in a crowd of people, a swarm, whether you're excited about seeing a band or walking from stage to stage — it can get overwhelming," Williams tells Refinery29, in conversation about her venture with the fest. "Hopefully this is a space for people to have time for themselves to reflect."
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The Paramore frontwoman says she is bringing her Good Dye Young brand of vegan and cruelty-free hair products, along with a team of stylists, to help Bonnaroo attendees freshen up their look — or just a temporary change of color, if that's what they want. "All of our stylists and some friends from salons in New York are coming down to essentially give people makeovers," Williams says, with proceeds going directly to the individual stylists.
Williams has also invited BioGlitz, a company that creates body glitter from sustainable sources, to "glitterfy everyone." If you wanna get your shine on to see Kacey — and yes, you really should — this is the spot to it.
For those whose self-care needs are more internal, ASICS Studio is bringing in a team of trainers to lead public yoga sessions and strength training workshops. The Sanctuary will also host morning meditation, open for anyone to join. And individualized therapy treatments, like Reki, will be available, as will art exhibitions and some smaller live performances.
Williams says the part of her new plaza she's most looking forward to are panels she's arranged, which span from education on CBD to a forum on sexual assault and the weight of that trauma. "The first time we started talking about the panels I was apprehensive because I wondered who would want to come to a festival to sit and listen to people talk?" Williams says. "But when I thought about the nature of community and connection being part of why people come to festivals in the first place — it's to not only see their favorite artists, but to connect and feel."
Williams herself will be on hand throughout the weekend — working, attending panels, and chatting with fans to get their feedback on what's working and what else they want to see in future iterations of the Sanctuary. "I'll probably be in PJs all weekend long," Williams says with a laugh. The idea for her Sanctuary came from personal experiences over the last two years. "'I've taken therapy seriously...I feel more open about it and excited to be transparent about my journey. As we started talking to the Bonnaroo production team, I think they saw that I am passionate about not only the things I already do for self-care, but about learning new ways," Williams says.
Consider this your personal invitation on that journey with Williams — she'll see you at Bonnaroo in Tennessee, starting on June 13.