Increased Bonnaroo Drug Searches Yield Over 100 Citations And Arrests On Day 1
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Drugs and music festivals tend to go together. Tennessee’s Bonaroo Festival, which started off as a jam-band-centric affair, has always had a reputation as a fun place to be high. But this year, it might not be so much fun. Bonnaroo kicked off on Wednesday, and it’ll be going all this weekend. The festival is now sold out; it’s reportedly the first sellout-size Bonnaroo crowd since 2013. (Phish fans: Still out there!) But it looks like the festival’s authorities are cracking down hard on any drugs that might be on their way into the grounds.
The Tennesseean reports that police in the town of Manchester have handed out more than 100 citations, at least as of this morning. There have also been at least four arrests. According to police, those citations are mostly for minor drug offenses, and many of them have been at the festival’s entrance.
In a statement, Bonnaroo organizers say that festival security is increasing its entry searches: “We have several enhanced security measures in place this year, including expanded car searches and canine patrols. We are hopeful that our patrons will appreciate these security measures and have patience with the inevitable inconveniences.”
Thus far, police haven’t found any fentanyl-laced drugs, and there have been no festival-related fatalities.