UPDATE 04/29/2019 2:05 PM ET: The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that Woodstock 50 organizers are saying the festival has not been canceled.
The organizers released the following statement: “Woodstock 50 vehemently denies the festival’s cancellation and legal remedy will (be) sought.”
ORIGINAL STORY
After rumors following the delay of ticket sales, Woodstock 50 has been canceled.
Dentsu Aegis Network, the festival’s main investor, 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. 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.”
Billboard also states that organizers were concerned the Watkins Glen International Speedway, the announced site of the festival, would not be able to accommodate the estimated 100,000 attendees.
Tickets for the festival were originally supposed to go on sale on April 22, but that date was pushed back because organizers didn’t secure a mass gathering permit from the New York State Department of Health for the Watkins Glen International Speedway. At the time of the postponed ticket sales, Woodstock co-founder/Woodstock 50 organizer Michael Lang called early buzz of the festival’s cancelation “just more rumors.”
Woodstock 50 was scheduled to take place August 16-18 festival taking place in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Headliners for the festival included The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Dead & Company, Chance the Rapper, Jay-Z and Imagine Dragons. Other acts booked included Santana, The Raconteurs, Halsey, Janelle Monae, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, John Fogerty, Greta Van Fleet, Gary Clark Jr., David Crosby and Friends, Rival Sons, Imagine Dragons, Cage The Elephant, Young the Giant, The Zombies and many more.
This story is developing…
