Woodstock 50 has been canceled — again
The organizers of Woodstock 50 are officially calling it quits.
The music festival, which was to take place next month to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock, has been canceled, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter reported on Wednesday.
"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," co-founder Michael Lang said in a statement, per the Reporter.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The event was already thought to be off months ago when in April its financial partner pulled out and announced it was canceled. But the organizers shortly came out and insisted it would still take place, though they would later have to scramble for a new location and end up relocating from New York to a smaller venue in Maryland. Although Jay-Z and Miley Cyrus were among the artists set to perform, they recently dropped out after being released from their contracts.
Tickets for Woodstock 50 had also still not gone on sale despite it being meant to take place in just more than two weeks on August 16, only increasing speculation that it would never actually come to pass; it was recently reported that it would go on but that tickets would now be free. But it's off entirely now, for real this time, with Variety reporting that vendors and stakeholders were informed earlier today.
"We thank the artists, fans and partners who stood by us even in the face of adversity," Lang said, while the Merriweather Post Pavilion's operator tried to look on the bright side by saying per the Reporter that "hopefully, with plenty of time to prepare, Merriweather will become the site of a future festival that captures the original vibe."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The best dark romance books to gingerly embrace right nowThe Week Recommends Steamy romances with a dark twist are gaining popularity with readers
-
The ocean is getting more acidic — and harming sharks’ teethUnder the Radar ‘There is a corrosion effect on sharks’ teeth,’ a study’s author said
-
6 exquisite homes for skiersFeature Featuring a Scandinavian-style retreat in Southern California and a Utah abode with a designated ski room
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
