Woodstock 50 Has Been Cancelled

4/29/2019 by Dave Brooks

Organizers say "we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name"

Woodstock 50 has been cancelled. Earlier today officials with Dentsu Aegis Network, which is funding the festival, released the following statement to Billboard:

“It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival. But 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."

The statement goes on, "As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”

Headliners at the three-day event included The Killers, Dead and Co, Imagine Dragons and Jay-Z.

Reps for the festival say concerns about the capacity of the festival, site readiness and permitting issues led to the cancellation of the commemorative event, which had been scheduled for Aug. 16-18. Last week, a representative for the festival reached out to officials with Live Nation and AEG to inquire about a $20 million investment to save the event, but both companies declined the offer.

The solicitation came just days after missing a deadline to begin selling tickets for the Aug. 16-18 festival. Besides issues with financing and permits, organizers were growing increasingly concerned that the Watkins Glen International speedway would not be able accommodate the 100,000-person festival.

More than $30 million has already been spent on the festival lineup, a source with knowledge of the proposal tells Billboard and most artists have already been paid by Amplify Live, the investment arm of Dentsu Aegis Network, a multinational media and digital marketing firm headquartered in London and a wholly owned by Japanese media firm Dentsu.

Billboard will update this story as more information becomes available.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/festivals/8509091/woodstock-50-festival-cancelled

Has Woodstock 50 been canceled? Organizers argue over status

John W. Barry, Poughkeepsie Journal

A spokesperson for Woodstock 50's financial partner says the anniversary festival has been canceled. And, the administrator for the county where the event was scheduled to be held said he has been notified that the event is off.

But organizers for the 2019 Woodstock festival say this is false and the concert will be held.

"Woodstock 50 vehemently denies the festival's cancellation and legal remedy will (be) sought," a statement from Woodstock 50 said.

Woodstock 50 was scheduled to be held Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, Schuyler County. County Administrator Tim O'Hearn said he received email notification of the cancellation.

Jay-Z, the Lumineers, Dead and Company, Common, Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons and Carlos Santana were scheduled to perform at Woodstock 50.

A statement from Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live says:

“It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival.

"But 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. As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”

Considered the crowning achievement of the 1960s counterculture, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair Aug. 15-18, 1969 attracted hundreds of thousands of people to Bethel in Sullivan County. Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Richie Havens and Janis Joplin were among the performers at the festival, which took place against the backdrop of 1960s turmoil.

Woodstock 50 is being produced under license from Woodstock Ventures, which was founded by Ulster County resident Michael Lang, Joel Rosenman and the late John Roberts. Those three, along with Artie Kornfeld, produced the 1969 Woodstock festival. Kornfeld will be rejoining the team for Woodstock 50.

Troubles rumored

News that Woodstock 50 is possibly canceled is the latest obstacle to emerge in Lang's plans to mark the golden anniversary of perhaps the most famous concert ever.

Late on April 19, multiple media outlets including Billboard and Variety reported an email alerted agents representing acts scheduled to play the festival that ticket sales had been postponed. In a response to a Billboard article asserting there were fears that the postponement was indicative of a larger problem with the event, Lang told Billboard it was simply “rumors.”

Lang's statement came in advance of the date upon which tickets were scheduled to go on sale, April 22. On April 20, Woodstock 50 said tickets would be going on sale "soon" rather than on April 22.

On April 21, O'Hearn said the state Department of Health was reviewing Woodstock 50's permit application, which he said was submitted April 15. The state must issue a temporary permit for events before ticket sales can begin, he said.

That permit application was still pending on Friday, April 26.

Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival at original site called off

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, on the original Woodstock site in Sullivan County, ran into its own problems staging a 50th anniversary festival.

The Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival was scheduled for the anniversary weekend, then dropped without explanation. Bethel Woods later said it was due in part to the site's wish to keep its museum accessible to all on the anniversary weekend, not just festival goers.

INVNT, a branding and live storytelling agency working with Bethel Woods on the festival, announced in February that it would not be producing the Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival Aug. 16-18.

Bethel Woods not long after announced that Ringo Starr would perform at its pavilion on Aug. 16 and original Woodstock performer Carlos Santana, joined by the Doobie Brothers, would play the site on Aug. 17.

Bethel Woods has since announced that original Woodstock performer Arlo Guthrie will play a free show at Bethel Woods on Aug. 15, prior to a screening of the 1970 Woodstock documentary. Reservations for these two free events have all been filed.

Also, John Fogerty will perform in the pavilion on Aug. 18. Santana and Fogerty played the 1969 Woodstock concert. Joining Starr on Aug. 16 will be original Woodstock acts Edgar Winter and Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Check back for more details.

https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2019/04/29/woodstock-50-cancellation-argument/3616705002/

I think this event may be postponed or sold to MTV or something like that....

Like anyone REALLY wants to see Imagine Dragons at a Woodstock event.

Whatever happened to GREAT rock and roll??

What happened? All the greats are dead or have one foot in the grave.

What happened? All the greats are dead or have one foot in the grave.


That's true. What will save rock and roll?

^^^ To me, what will save whatever needs saving are those who are not afraid to try filling the shoes of those who have come before us. The sad thing though is that too many people are only focused on making a name for themselves that there is no room left in their minds for anyone else.

God bless you and the legends who are still here always!!!

Holly

P.S. "Who's gonna fill their shoes? Who's gonna stand that tall? Who's gonna play the Opry and the Wabash Cannonball?"-country legend George Jones

I guess this is because most of today's artists are terrible compared to the great acts of the 80s and before.

Woodstock 50 is Officially Cancelled, Organizer "Saddened" by Setbacks
by Christian Holub
July 31, 2019


After a protracted months-long battle for funding and legal approvals, Woodstock 50 — the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock music festival originally planned for this August — was officially canceled Wednesday by its organizers.

“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,” Woodstock 50 organizer Michael Lang, who co-founded the original festival, said in a statement.

https://ew.com/music/2019/07/31/woodstock-50-officially-canceled/

Looks like there's only small Woodstock venues...maybe they can have it next year.

Woodstock 99 REALLY ****ed it up!

I wonder what bands will have a mini-Woodstock celebration?

That's true. What will save rock and roll?

Rock and roll?

What will save the USA?

Rock and roll?

What will save the USA?

ROCK AND ROLL WILL SAVE THE USA!!!!! :rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

ROCK AND ROLL WILL SAVE THE USA!!!!! :rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Make Rock n' Roll Great Again!

PBS' American Experience documentary on Woodstock demonstrates why the iconic music festival can never happen again (https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/08/woodstock-50-pbs-doc-festival-legacy/595495/)

Barak Goodman’s Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation is, in contrast to Michael Wadleigh’s Oscar-winning 1970 film Woodstock, focuses more on the creation, the logistics and the on-the-ground feel of the concert festival that turns 50 next week. The film, says Spencer Kornhaber, "reinforces the sense that Woodstock was somewhat a product of naïveté, and that it took advantage of an era in which rules were less calcified than they are today."

Make Rock n' Roll Great Again!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock: patriot: patriot:

Maybe it was for the best that the "planned" Woodstock 50 got 86ed...because there were other venues that had Woodstock 50...and this is one of them....

https://creatiview.net/baby-boomers-revel-at-woodstock-music-festival-50-years-on/

I'm shocked. Not.

Ed.

Like anyone REALLY wants to see Imagine Dragons at a Woodstock event.

Whatever happened to GREAT rock and roll??

Well I would I kind of like Imagine Dragons. What's it to you?

Ed.

They had planned on transferring the event to Merriweather Post Pavilion which is somewhat in my neck of the woods and is a much smaller venue than originally planned. Most of the headliner acts had already pulled out of the event and the others such as Miley Cyrus then pulled out making it impossible to have the event. Honestly, for the life of me the name Woodstock does not ring Jay Z, Miley Cyrus, and Imagine Dragons to me. I would much rather see 60's acts that may just want to get together for one show and perform some of their old tunes from the past like Simon & Garfunkel or Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. Even if they aren't like they were in the past. I still would much rather see them perform then Jay Z or Miley Cyrus.

There's no point in these Woodstock revivals.


It's not gonna capture the same feeling as it did all those years ago and can't understand Mr. Lang's reasoning other that $.

I'm sure he's made enough by being in the concert business for so many years.