Two PIPE BOMBS found near Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee

As thousands prepare for three days of debauched entertainment at the Bonnaroo music festival, local authorities are investigating two active pipe bombs found near the event grounds.

The first device was discovered Wednesday morning in a drainage ditch about five miles away from Great Stage Park, the venue for Bonnaroo, the Manchester Times reported. The second was found soon after, about 30 meters away from the first.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to a call about the bombs, according to the Chief Investigator for the Manchester Police Department Jackie Matheny, who said officers “arrived and made the explosive devices safe.”

The festival’s organizers maintained the incident was entirely unrelated to the event, and assured concert-goers that safety was a priority.

“As always, we remain in contact with local law enforcement throughout the festival and have a broad range of safety procedures in place, including car searches, CCTV cameras, mounted patrol, metal detectors and canine patrols,” the organizers told the Tennessean.

Earlier this month, police in the town of Clarksville – about a two hour drive from Great Stage Park – said they took action to “minimize or negate” a possible danger to the upcoming festival after a Facebook user made threatening comments online. It is not clear if the previous incident is related.

The annual Bonnaroo music festival takes place near Manchester, some 65 miles southeast of Nashville. This year's event will begin Thursday, June 13 and last for three days. Last year’s festival drew an estimated 65,000 attendees.

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