Woodstock 50 Is Canceled

It would appear  that the plans for a 50th anniversary of Woodstock celebration is dead, and not the "grateful" kind.

According to a spokesperson from Woodstock 50, the festival is canceled. The celebration was aimed at honoring the 50th anniversary of the legendary Woodstock music festival in 1969, which took place in Bethel, New York, which is only about an hour and a half southeast of Binghamton.

It's a shame too, because some big names, old and new, were slated to perform. Some of those acts included Miley Cyrus, Jay-Z, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, and the Black Keys just being some of the acts which had been secured.

How in the world did this happen? The celebration had been scheduled for August 16-18 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, but setback after setback piled up.

First came issues with securing a mass gathering permit after paperwork was filed late. That delayed the projected beginning of ticket sales.

Then came a legal battle with the festivals' business partner after Michael Lang, the organizer of both the original Woodstock as well as Woodstock 50, accused the investors of attempting to kill the event.

After being allowed to proceed by the court, Watkins Glen International decided to terminate its contract with Woodstock 50, leaving the event without a home. Efforts to hold the festival at Vernon Downs, in Vernon, New York, and at an outdoor amphitheater in Maryland were unsuccessful.

So what happens next? In his statement, Lang said he will turn his focus to Woodstock anniversary events taking place at Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center in August.

The full statement from Woodstock 50 is below:

“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,” said Michael Lang, co-founder of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. “When we lost the Glen and then Vernon Downs we looked for a way to do some good rather than just cancel. We formed a collaboration with HeadCount to do a smaller event at the Merriweather Pavilion to raise funds for them to get out the vote and for certain NGOs involved in fighting climate change. We released all the talent so any involvement on their part would be voluntary. Due to conflicting radius issues in the DC area many acts were unable to participate and others passed for their own reasons. I would like to encourage artists and agents, who all have been fully paid, to donate 10% of their fees to HeadCount or causes of their choice in the spirit of peace. Woodstock remains committed to social change and will continue to be active in support of HeadCount’s critical mission to get out the vote before the next election. We thank the artists, fans and partners who stood by us even in the face of adversity. My thoughts turn to Bethel and its celebration of our 50^th Anniversary to reinforce the values of compassion, human dignity, and the beauty of our differences embraced by Woodstock.”

[via Woodstock 50]