Outside Lands, Bonnaroo co-founder Jonathan Mayers dies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Jonathan Mayers, one of the co-founders of Outside Lands and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, has died. He was 51, according to obituaries posted by Pitchfork and The Hollywood Reporter.

Mayers was the co-founder of Superfly, an entertainment and marketing firm, helping to co-create Bonnarro as well as the Outside Lands festival, which is held annually in San Francisco. His cause of death was not immediately released.

The organizers of the 2025 Bonnaroo festival shared news of Mayers’ passing on social media.

“Our hearts are extremely heavy as we mourn the loss of one of our Co-Founders, Jonathan Mayers,” the message read. “For more than a decade Jonathan was a creative force behind this festival that so many of us have held near and dear to our hearts now for more than twenty years. As a very small token of our appreciation for what he contributed to Bonnaroo, we will plant a tree in his honor on The Farm. Our thoughts are with Jonathan’s family and friends during this very difficult time.”

Bonnaroo, which has been held in Tennessee since 2002, has become a popular destination for fans of live music, drawing up to roughly 80,000 campers and festivalgoers to the grounds and surrounding towns.

This year’s festival, scheduled to kick off Thursday, will feature performances from dozens of well-known artists, including Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, Queens of the Stone Age, and Tyler, The Creator.

“This weekend we celebrate Jonathan by doing the two things we know best to do in our favorite place on the planet. Spreading love and radiating positivity,” reads a message shared to the official Bonnaroo Instagram page. “Thank you, Jonathan. This one’s for you.”