Bonnaroo 2025 Artist Spotlight: Mannequin Pussy

Like we’ve been doing for many years now, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with many of our favorite acts from Bonnaroo‘s 2025 lineup. A festival that feels like it’s ever evolving (especially with some big tweaks and improvements in the past few summers post-pandemic), this year marks Bonnaroo’s 22nd installment (and 24th anniversary), boasting not only another great and varied lineup, but also some exciting additions like the brand new, high-tech Infinity Stage, billed as “the world’s largest 360-degree, immersive sound experience” and unlike anything that’s ever been showcased in North America. Back once again in its usual June 12-15 timeframe, we’re counting down the days until another great weekend on the farm.

As we dig through the entire schedule, we’ll highlight a spread of performers spanning across genres and stages, big and small, new and old, to bring you some of the most interesting, lesser-known, and most highly-recommended among this year’s crop of artists. And as our time at ‘Roo approaches, we’ll also be bringing you some special features and full list-style daily lineup guides, to help you plan your weekend ahead of the fest. While these previews won’t span every artist, and might omit some more obvious must-see acts, we hope they’ll serve as a way to help you navigate Bonnaroo’s gargantuan lineup, and to make the most of your busy weekend at the fest!

We’re told tickets are very low and on track to sell out, so grab those right here if you haven’t already (and don’t forget the camping or parking pass), and read on for our Bonnaroo Artist Spotlight!

LEARN

We’d forgive you if you only recently got hip to Philadelphia indie punk outfit Mannequin Pussy, especially since the well-deserved wave of critical acclaim and wider mainstream attention for their masterpiece of a fourth album, last year’s I Got Heaven. But punk fans already know that they’ve been making amazing, visceral, and emotionally raw music for more than a decade, and the real OGs might even know that singer and guitarist Missy Dabice actually cofounded Mannequin Pussy way back in 2010, initially a duo with drummer Athanasios Paul (who later moved to guitar for most of his time in the band, and ultimately departed in 2021), and then as a trio with drummer Drew Adler (who exited in 2015), after Paul switched to guitar. That original incarnation released a scrappy, debut punk album called Gypsy Pervert in 2013 (later retitled to simply Mannequin Pussy, after regret over the use of a slur), catching the attention of buzzy indie label Tiny Engines, who re-released it the following year. It was 2016 sophomore effort Romantic, however, which saw drummer Kaleen Reading join to replace Adler, and the addition of bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford (who’ve both remained core to the lineup since), which really saw the band come into their own, refining their unrivaled ability to oscillate between ripping, hardcore punk and softer, catchier pop influences, boosted by Dabice’s dynamic, versatile vocals and angsty and confessional lyrics. After making the jump to famed label Epitaph (as their former home, Tiny Engines, faced financial difficulties and missed payments to artists, ultimately agreeing to sell Mannequin Pussy the the rights to their masters a few years later), the rockers would find even more success with honed, propulsive, and self-reflective 2019 third album Patience, cementing their status as one of the best punk bands of the 2010s, and attracting a passionate new wave of fans. Like many bands, the pandemic slowed down MP’s momentum for a just a bit, but they returned in 2021 with a new EP, Perfect, marking their last release with founding member Athanasios Paul (guitarist Maxine Steen would join to replace him, rounding out the current lineup). Arriving nearly five years after their last full-length though, it was 2024’s I Got Heaven that truly kicked off a new era for the group, attracting universal acclaim, and frequently proclaimed one of the best albums of last year. Produced by John Congleton, Heaven builds on everything MP had made before, while distilling and perfecting their sound, balancing a ferocity, pop prowess, impassioned and earnest thematic focus, and slick, propulsive production. The band has never sounded more urgent, more electric, more thrillingly visceral, and Heaven feels like one of those special, generational, artist-defining releases where the stars just so perfectly aligned. Mannequin Pussy absolutely ripped when they last played Nashville, and we have no doubt that they’re going to play one of the best sets you’ll see all Bonnaroo weekend!