Woodstock 50th anniversary festival has been canceled

'We don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name'
Margaret Abrams8 May 2019

Put away your bell bottoms and tie-dye crop tops, because Woodstock's 50th anniversary concert is officially canceled, according to organizers. Don't worry, though, there are plenty of opportunities to wear your flower crown elsewhere this festival season

In a statement to Billboard, organizers announced that they "don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name."

The cancelation was a means to avoid having a Fyre Festival moment - although Woodstock 50 is currently embroiled in controversy anyway. According to Rolling Stone, Woodstock 50’s founder Michael Lang is accusing the Japanese firm responsible for the festival, Dentsu, of allegedly illegally sweeping “approximately $17 million from the festival bank account.”

“Corporations are not always the right match for certain creative endeavors, but I learned that Dentsu has pursued various social initiatives after certain tragedies and scandals that Dentsu faced which gave me confidence that your company would be an ethical and honorable firm to partner with,” Lang wrote in a five page letter about his experience working with Dentsu.

Now, Lang still wants the festival to happen, although tickets can’t go on sale until they obtain a mass gathering permit, which they do not have. And they’d need a cool $17 mill.

Dentsu Aegis Network, the group funding the festival, announced the cancelation originally, saying, "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 festival was supposed to include major headliners, including Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons and Halsey.

Tickets for the August anniversary celebration were going to cost $450. The original festival price was much more affordable, with tickets costing only $7.

According to representatives for the festival, there were permit issues leading to the cancelation and they weren't sure if the location could hold the crowds.

A rep for the fest reached out to the major music festival production companies AEG Live and Live Nation to ask for a $20 million investment but both declined - so now, we'll never know if Jay-Z was going to be able to top his wife's Homecoming performance (although it's highly unlikely).

This isn't the first time promoters have attempted to reboot the famous music festival. Back in 1999, Woodstock '99 took place with Clown Posse and Limp Bizkit. The concert was ultimately a violent, chaotic event with multiple injuries and a notoriously aggressive crowd.

This summer's Panorama, New York's answer to Coachella, was also canceled before influencers could start getting their outfits ready.

At least this news means that Woodstock's anniversary won't turn into the next Fyre Fest. Better safe than eating sad cheese sandwiches.

The A-list names connected to Fyre Festival

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