Home of Bonnaroo since 2002

Living Near Great Stage Park in Manchester

Great Stage Park is the event grounds in Manchester where the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been held since 2002. Buyers ask me what it is like to own a home near the park, how festival week affects the roads and whether anything special applies to property nearby. This guide sticks to what official sources say: where the park is, how the state plans festival traffic on Interstate 24, how the city annexed the property and what to check before you buy. I describe the area in general terms rather than naming individual streets or subdivisions, because the right home depends on your needs.

Where Great Stage Park is

Southeast of Nashville. The Industrial Board of Coffee County describes Great Stage Park as sixty five miles southeast of Nashville, and notes that the park also hosted the first Exit 111 Festival in 2019.
Festival address. The festival help center gives 1560 New Bushy Branch Road, Manchester, TN 37355 as the address for GPS, and asks drivers to follow signs, police and staff rather than GPS as they get close.
About 700 acres. The festival's own site and the Tennessee Encyclopedia both describe a site of about 700 acres in Manchester.
Off State Route 55 and Exit 111. TDOT uses Interstate 24 Exit 111 at State Route 55 as the main festival exit. City planning records describe New Bushy Branch Road running from State Route 55 to the property. The festival office address in those records is on Campground Road, and part of Powers Road was annexed along with the property.
Near commercial exits. A TDOT corridor study describes commercial zoning along I 24 near McMinnville Highway and State Route 55 (Exit 111) and near US 41 and Hillsboro Boulevard (Exit 114). Coffee County has six I 24 exits in all, and Old Stone Fort's brochure puts Exit 110 within two miles of that park.

To see how the park area fits with the rest of town, open my Manchester area map and my guide to Manchester neighborhoods and areas.

The festival in brief

The Tennessee Encyclopedia says the name comes from Dr. John's 1974 album Desitively Bonnaroo, that the festival began in 2002 and that it is a four day event held each June, designed from the start as a camping event. It also notes that in the early years the crowds came with traffic tie ups on the roads and highways leading into Manchester.

Recent dates follow the June pattern. TDOT's releases list Thursday, June 12 through Sunday, June 15 in 2025 and Thursday, June 11 through Sunday, June 14 in 2026. In its 2026 release TDOT said more than 45,000 people were expected.

2027 note. As of October 30, 2026, the festival's own website says Bonnaroo will be taking a year off in 2027 to let the grounds rest and recover after back to back years of storms. Check the festival site for later announcements before you plan around a future date.

Festival week traffic, from TDOT

TDOT publishes a traffic plan each June. Its 2025 and 2026 releases follow the same pattern, and both say the area around Manchester always sees increased traffic during the festival. Here is what TDOT listed for 2026:

Keep I 24 moving. TDOT's stated priority is keeping Interstate 24 traffic flowing while getting festival traffic in and out safely.
Exit 111 is the festival exit. Exit 111 (State Route 55) is the main festival exit, and alternate exits are used if the interstate backs up.
Right lane for festival traffic. Festival traffic is kept in the right lane and on the shoulder so through traffic can use the left lane.
No construction closures. TDOT held construction lane closures on I 24 near the festival from 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 10 through 7:00 p.m. Monday, June 15, 2026. In 2025 the window ran from Tuesday, June 10 through Tuesday, June 17.
Patrols and signs. HELP trucks patrol the interstate and state routes, maintenance crews are posted and on call all weekend, variable message signs warn of delays and median crossovers are guarded.
County roads for emergencies. TDOT says emergency vehicles use county roads that are kept at low volume during the festival.
Partner agencies. TDOT works with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Manchester Police, Manchester Fire and Rescue, the Coffee County Sheriff, Coffee County EMA and the festival promoters.

For help on the road, TDOT lists 511 for its HELP and Rural Service Patrol dispatch and *THP (*847) to reach a state trooper, with 911 for any emergency. Live cameras and construction updates are posted at TNSmartWay.com/Traffic.

TDOT does not publish delay times, and neither do I. If you live or plan to live near Exit 111, the practical step is to keep an eye on TDOT and local agency announcements in early June and plan errands and appointments around the festival days.

City limits and the 2021 annexation

City records show the festival property was annexed into Manchester city limits in 2021. Here is how it happened:

The request. Manchester Planning Commission minutes from March 15, 2021 show the property owners asked the city to annex seven parcels, about 618 acres in total. Proposed zoning was commercial (C 2) for the area known as Centeroo and the office at 756 Campground Road, with residential (R 1) zoning for the rest.
The vote. Board of Mayor and Aldermen minutes from April 6, 2021 show resolutions approving an annexation agreement, a Plan of Services and annexation by written consent of the tracts, each passing 5 to 0. One resolution also took in the stretch of Interstate 24 between Exits 111 and 114 that was not already in the city, and others took in nearby portions of New Bushy Branch Road, Bushy Branch Road and Powers Road.
City services. In the Plans of Service, the city water and sewer department said city water mains run within the property, the police department said it could serve the property with overtime and outside officers and had submitted a separate budget to the festival each year, and the planning department said it was not staffed to enforce every code during large events, with the State Fire Marshal's Office offering help.
Roads. The street department noted that private roads on the property would not be city maintained unless brought up to city standards, that Powers Road and Campground Road were tar and chip, and that the city intended to seek state and federal funds to widen New Bushy Branch Road to three lanes from State Route 55 to the property. Ask the city about the current status of any road project; I have not confirmed whether that widening happened.

Being next to the park does not tell you whether a particular home is in the city. Homes in the area can sit inside Manchester city limits or in unincorporated Coffee County, and that decides property taxes, codes office and school district. Always confirm for the exact address.

How the county handles the event

Coffee County posts its festival forms on the county Codes Compliance page:

Selling during the festival. The 2026 Transient Business License and Temporary Land Use Permit form says anyone temporarily operating a business or selling merchandise to the public in Coffee County must get both: a $50 transient business license through the County Clerk and a $200 temporary land use permit for each vending booth space through the Codes office. They are valid only for the 14 days requested, and the 2026 form asked for dates that included June 11 to 14, 2026.
Outside the grounds. The same form has a line for a location outside Bonnaroo. If you are thinking about selling food or goods from your own property during festival week, call Coffee County Codes at (931) 723 4841 before you plan anything.
Event ticket fee. The county's Entertainment Event Fee Application says events expected to draw more than 500 people pay a per ticket fee of $1 to $5, depending on ticket price, under a private act of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Short term rentals during festival week

Some owners ask whether they can rent out a home during the festival. I did not find a short term rental ordinance or permit on the City of Manchester permits pages, in the Manchester Municipal Code or on the Coffee County Codes page, so I am not going to describe rules that I cannot point to. Before you buy with that plan in mind, call Manchester Health and Codes at (931) 723 1464 for addresses in the city, or Coffee County Codes at (931) 723 4841 for addresses in the county, and also check any deed restrictions or HOA rules for the property. I do not estimate rental income.

Buying a home near the park

Visit during festival week if you can. The best way to judge a location is to see it on a regular weekday and again in early June when the festival is on, if your timeline allows.
Ask about routes. Ask the seller and neighbors which roads they use during the festival and how they get to work, school and the grocery store that week. Compare that with TDOT's plan for Exit 111 and the alternate exits.
City or county. Confirm whether the address is inside Manchester city limits or in unincorporated Coffee County. Homes in the city pay both city and county property taxes, and Tennessee assesses residential property at 25 percent of appraised value. My Coffee County property taxes guide explains the math.
Zoning. Call Health and Codes at (931) 723 1464 for zoning in the city, because the city says its zoning map is not posted online and changes regularly. For county parcels, call Coffee County Codes at (931) 723 4841.
Land and acreage. If you are looking at acreage near the park, read my guide to buying land in Coffee County for septic, survey and access questions.
Flood zone. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. My flood zones guide walks through each step.
Utilities. Confirm the water, sewer and electric providers for the address. See my utilities guide.
Commute. Drive your real commute at the time you would make it, and think about which exit you would use in June. My commute guide covers routes to Nashville and Chattanooga.

Selling a home near the park

If you own a home near Great Stage Park, plan showings and open houses around festival days, and tell buyers which routes you use that week. I will prepare a price recommendation based on recent comparable sales. See how to sell a house in Manchester or request a free home value report.

Keep reading:

Fair housing note: this guide describes places, roads and public rules, not who lives in any area. Every home is open to every buyer.

This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Rules, dates and road plans can change, so confirm details with the city, the county and TDOT.

Looking at a home near Great Stage Park?

I help buyers compare homes near the park with the rest of Manchester and Coffee County, and I can help you line up city limit, zoning and flood zone checks before deadlines pass. Call or text me at (615) 497 1658, or request my buyer guide below and tell me what you are looking for.

Common questions

Where is Great Stage Park in Manchester TN?

Great Stage Park is in Manchester, about sixty five miles southeast of Nashville according to the Industrial Board of Coffee County. The festival lists 1560 New Bushy Branch Road, Manchester, TN 37355 as its GPS address, and TDOT uses Interstate 24 Exit 111 at State Route 55 as the main festival exit.

When is Bonnaroo held?

Bonnaroo is a four day festival held each June. TDOT listed June 12 to 15 in 2025 and June 11 to 14 in 2026. As of October 30, 2026, the festival website says Bonnaroo will take a year off in 2027.

How does Bonnaroo affect I 24 traffic?

TDOT says the area around Manchester always sees more traffic during the festival. Its plan uses Exit 111 as the main festival exit with alternate exits if needed, keeps festival traffic in the right lane and shoulder so through traffic can use the left lane, and holds construction lane closures on I 24 near the festival during festival week.

Is Great Stage Park inside Manchester city limits?

Yes. City minutes show the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved resolutions in April 2021 to annex the festival property, along with nearby road segments and part of Interstate 24 between Exits 111 and 114. Homes near the park can still be in the city or the county, so confirm the exact address.

Can I rent out my home during Bonnaroo?

I did not find a city or county short term rental rule on the official pages I checked, so I do not describe one. Call Manchester Health and Codes at (931) 723 1464 or Coffee County Codes at (931) 723 4841 for the exact address, and check any deed restrictions or HOA rules.

What should I check before buying a home near Great Stage Park?

Visit during festival week if you can, ask the seller which routes they use that week, confirm city or county, check zoning and the FEMA flood map, confirm utilities and test your commute, including which I 24 exit you would use in June.

Matt Sargent is a Tennessee licensed affiliate broker with Keller Williams who helps buyers and sellers in Manchester and Coffee County. Call (615) 497 1658 or send a message.