Woodstock 50 has been cancelled, per a statement from festival organizers made earlier today.
“Despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees,” reads a statement from Dentsu Aegis Network, which was funding the bash.
“As a result and after careful consideration, Detsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival,” the statement continued. “As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”
The abrupt cancellation comes days after the public sale of tickets was delayed and prompted rumors that event would not happen. Following public outcry, organizers assured consumers that the anniversary festival would go on as scheduled. However, that issue – along with growing concerns over crowd size, local permit allowances and financing – left the festival’s team no choice but to pull the plug.
Woodstock 50 was scheduled to take place August 16-18 at Watkins Glen International Speedway in Watkins Glen, New York. The site is about 150 miles away from the original festival’s stomping grounds in Bethel, New York and officials quickly became unclear whether it could safely accommodate a crowd size upwards of 100,000.
Despite months of speculation and hype for the anniversary fest built up by original Woodstock co-creator Michael Lang, announcement of the Woodstock 50 lineup fell flat for some fans, signaling the first of many woes leading to the cancellation.
The lineup for the now-aborted festival relied heavily on contemporary acts. Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Dead and Company and The Killers were granted headlining slots, along with scheduled performances from Miley Cyrus, Halsey, The Lumineers, Chance the Rapper, Janelle Monae and dozens more. While Woodstock 1969 performers Santana, John Fogerty, Canned Heat, Country Joe McDonald, David Crosby, Melanie and John Sebastian were also among the billing, many felt that the anniversary concert had gone too modern to recapture the spirit of the iconic 60s festival.