Woodstock 50 has been officially cancelled
"We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has made it impossible to put on the festival we imagined"
Due to a “series of unforeseen setbacks,” Woodstock 50 has been cancelled, organizers said.
Woodstock 50 was originally scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 in upstate New York. But things began to unravel after the festival lost access to its venue, following disputes with the event’s primary investor and production company. Both parties soon pulled out.
“We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has made it impossible to put on the festival we imagined with the great line-up we had booked and the social engagement we were anticipating,” Michael Lang, co-founder of the original Woodstock festival in 1969, said in a statement. “We thank the artists, fans and partners who stood by us even in the face of adversity.”
Dead & Company, Jay-Z, and the Killers were booked to headline the 50th anniversary event, which was billed as a social justice-minded festival, having partnered with several nonprofits.
Following the loss of venue, the organizers tried to sue the investment company for sabotage and theft. That failed, as did subsequent efforts to secure permits for a new venue in the area.
Despite Woodstock’s efforts to host a free version of the festival in Maryland, the lineup had fallen apart, and Woodstock 50 was no more
But that may not be the end for Woodstock, organizer Greg Peck said.
“Woodstock’s values of peace and tolerance are more important today than ever for all of us to stand for and we look to the future for ways to honor and celebrate these ideals.”
