Woodstock, the world’s most influential music festival, is celebrating turning 50 with an anniversary bash unlike any other. Big-name artists spanning several generations will gather for the three-day affair, which is expected to be just as large and popular as its predecessor 50 years ago. From the lineup to ticket information and everything in between, here’s what you need to know about Woodstock 50 before it kicks off.
When Is Woodstock 50?
Woodstock 50 will take place exactly 50 years to the day after the original 1969 festival and run Friday, August 16 through Sunday, August 18.
Where Is Woodstock 50?
Woodstock organizer Michael Lang could not get the 50th anniversary bash to take place at the festival’s original site in Bethel, New York (more on that below). Instead, the gathering will go down about 150 miles east in Watkins Glen, New York.
What Is the Woodstock 50 Lineup & Schedule?
The Woodstock 50 lineup strikes an equal balance of nostalgia and modernity, featuring a mix of current hitmakers, musical legends, and rising talents. Kicking things off on Friday, August 16 are The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Santana, Robert Plant, The Lumineers, Maggie Rogers, The Raconteurs, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, John Fogerty, Anderson East, Akon, Michael Franti & Spearhead and more. Saturday’s lineup consists of headliners Dead & Company, Chance the Rapper, The Black Keys and Sturgill Simpson, plus Greta Van Fleet, Gary Clark Jr., Portugal the Man, David Crosby, Leon Bridges, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and more. The final day of the festival will feature Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Cage the Elephant, Brandi Carlile, Janelle Monae, Young the Giant, Common, Vince Staples, Judah and the Lion, The Zombies, and more.
How Many Original Performers are Returning?
Parted legends like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker won’t be able to perform at Woodstock 50 unless in hologram form. However, there are still plenty of original Woodstock 1969 performers who appear on the new bill. Among them are Santana, former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty, Melanie, Canned Heat, Country Joe McDonald, John Sebastian, Country Joe and the Fish, David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, Bob Weir and Bill Kruetzmann, who will now perform as part of Dead & Company.
How Much Are Woodstock 50 Tickets?
Woodstock 50 tickets are slated to go on sale April 22. They will be available for purchase either in a three-day pass or for single-day admission. Browse Woodstock tickets here, but don’t wait to buy. They won’t be around for long!
Who Is Partnering with Woodstock 50 For Its Mission?
Woodstock’s mission has also been to promote peace and unity through the power of music. To continue that longstanding message in 2019, the festival has partnered with several non-profit organizations to make a difference regarding some of today’s biggest social and political issues, from gun violence and criminal justice reform to environmental conservation. Woodstock is supporting all of the following organizations: Conservation International, Happy Hippie Foundation, March for Our Lives, Hiring America, HeadCount, REFORM, The Felix Organization, Dolphin Project and Social Works.
Are There Two Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festivals?
Yes and no. The festival bearing the signature Woodstock name will be held August 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York. To commemorate the golden anniversary, a similar gathering will take place at the original site in Bethel, New York. Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band will take the stage of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on August 16 along with fellow Woodstock ’69 performers Arlo Guthrie and the Edgar Winters Band. The following night Santana will keep the nostalgia going with an anticipated performance. They’ll appear in Bethel alongside the Doobie Brothers as part of their Supernatural Now Tour.