Un-Cancelled: Woodstock 50 will go on!

On April 29, 2019, mere days after tickets went on sale Billboard announced that this massive anniversary festival has been cancelled.

On May 15, 2019, the Supreme Court of New York overturned the cancellation. The show will go on as planned!

Woodstock 50 issued the following statements after Judge Barry Ostrager of the Supreme Court of New York ruled that financial partner, Dentsu Aegis, had no right to cancel the Festival, as it attempted to do on April 29. Woodstock 50 filed a request with the court for a temporary restraining order May 9 to stop Dentsu from sabotaging the Festival.

From Marc Kasowitz, partner, Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP:

“We are gratified that Justice Ostrager has ruled unequivocally that Dentsu did not have the right to cancel the Festival, and is immediately enjoined from cancelling the Festival.  Today’s order is an important victory that means the show will go on for the fans, the talent, and the world, which was and remains Woodstock 50’s mission.”

From Gregory Peck, principal, Woodstock 50:

“Woodstock 50 is on!  Now that the court has confirmed that the Festival was never validly cancelled and is going forward, Woodstock 50 can focus on finalizing the necessary funding arrangements. We can’t wait to bring this important event to the public this summer. We have one of the greatest lineups of talent of any music festival, and we are grateful to all of the talent for their loyalty and support.”

From Michael Lang, producer, Woodstock 50:

“We have always relied on the truth and have never lost faith that the Festival would take place. I would like to thank all of the talent and their representatives for their patience and support.  Woodstock 50 will be an amazing and inspiring festival experience.”

HEADLINERS Aug. 16: The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Santana; Aug. 17: Dead & Company, Chance The Rapper, The Black Keys; Aug. 18: Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Halsey

Tickets Available on Earth Day, April 22

Woodstock 50 Music and Arts Fair announced the official lineup of its three-day 50^th anniversary celebration today, with more than 80 musical acts. Taking place on its 50^th anniversary weekend, Aug. 16-18, in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The most iconic music festival in American history is bringing peace, love and music back for a new generation of fans. Woodstock 50’s lineup reflects its mission –uniting people in a shared experience with great artists and encouraging active support of equality, inclusion and a shared sustainable future.

Legacy acts, in addition to original Woodstock ’69 icons Santana and Dead & Company, include Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters, David Crosby and Friends, John Fogerty, Canned Heat, Country Joe McDonald, John Sebastian and Melanie.

Scheduled on Aug. 16, Friday: The Killers, Miley Cyrus, The Lumineers, The Raconteurs, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, Run The Jewels, The Head and The Heart, Maggie Rogers, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Bishop Briggs, Anderson East, Akon, Princess Nokia, Grandson, Fever 333, Larkin Poe, Dorothy, Flora Cash, Brian Cadd, Ninet Tayeband more.

Scheduled on Aug. 17, Saturday: Chance The Rapper, The Black Keys, Sturgill Simpson, Greta Van Fleet, Portugal. The Man, Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Dawes, Margo Price, Nahko And Medicine For The People, India.Arie, Jade Bird, Rival Sons, Emily King, Soccer Mommy, SiR, Taylor Bennett, Amy Helm, Courtney Hadwin, Pearl, John-Robert, IAMDDB. and more. 

Scheduled on Aug. 18, Sunday: Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Cage the Elephant, Brandi Carlile, Janelle Monáe, Young the Giant, Courtney Barnett, Common, Vince Staples, Judah and The Lion, Earl Sweatshirt, Boygenius, Reignwolf, The Zombies, Pussy Riot, Cherry Glazerr, Leven Kali, The Marcus King Band, Victory, Hollis Brown, John Craigie, Amigo The Devil, Liz Brasher and more.

“We’ve lined up artists who won’t just entertain but will remind the world that music has the power to bring people together, to heal, to move us to action and to tell the stories of a generation,” said Michael Lang, co-founder and producer of the 1969 and 2019 Woodstock festivals. “Our hope is that today, just as in 1969, music will be the constant that can inspire positive change.”

The entire lineup can be viewed here.

Woodstock 50 also announced the lineup of some of its nonprofit cause partners addressing issues that impact all generations.

• Conservation International has been protecting nature for 30 years. Today it continues its work to build a healthier more prosperous and productive planet through science, policy and partnerships with countries, communities and companies.
• Dolphin Project is dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide, and aims to educate the public about captivity, and where feasible, retire and/or release captive dolphins.
• Felix Organization provides inspiring opportunities and new experiences to enrich the lives of children who are growing up in the foster care system.
• Happy Hippie Foundation rallies young people to find injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations.
• HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy by staging voter registration drives at concerts.
• Hiring America is dedicated to helping veterans find jobs – providing valuable information to help ease the transition for veterans entering the civilian workforce.
• March For Our Lives was started by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., with a mission to end gun violence.
• REFORM Alliance exists to dramatically reduce the number of people who are unjustly under the control of the criminal justice system.
• Seva Foundation is a global eye care organization that transforms lives and strengthens communities by restoring sight and preventing blindness.
• SocialWorks aims to empower youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement while fostering leadership, accessibility, and positivity within Chicago.

Lang shared that the festival will also include highly curated neighborhoods that celebrate unique experiences in all the arts – including emerging talent, specialty food offerings, workshops and crafts – as well as a dedicated “Kidstock” area.

Tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event will go on sale on Earth Day, April 22.

To receive information before the general ticket sale date, email peace@woodstock50.com. Stay up-to-date on official Woodstock 50^th Anniversary Music and Arts Fair news on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Woodstock.com.

About Woodstock 50
Created in 1969 and billed as “3 Days of Peace and Music,” the legendary Woodstock Music and Arts Fair was a reaction by the youth of its time to the tumultuous conditions they faced and the causes that inspired them —civil rights, women’s rights and the antiwar movement. Woodstock was a defining cultural and historical moment that brought hundreds of thousands of attendees together for music, peace and love.

Woodstock co-producer and co-founder, Michael Lang and partners are bringing the festival back in the true spirit of the original – to unite people in a shared experience with great artists, and encourage active support of equality, inclusion and a shared sustainable future. The Official Woodstock 50^th Anniversary Festival will bring three days of peace, love and music back to Upstate New York from Friday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 18, at Watkins Glen International.