So much for another three days of “Peace and Music.”
The 50th anniversary celebration of Woodstock has been canceled, as first reported by Billboard.
On Monday, officials with festival funders Dentsu Aegis Network announced the decision to nix Woodstock 50, stating that “…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."
Headliners tapped for the three-day event, announced in March, included The Killers, Dead and Co., Imagine Dragons and Jay-Z. Other acts, such as Atlanta's Run the Jewels, Janelle Monae and Larkin Poe, as well as Miley Cyrus, Gary Clark Jr., Brandi Carlile and Greta Van Fleet, were expected to play as well and performers from the original Woodstock, including John Fogerty, Canned Heat, David Crosby and John Sebastian, were also part of the lineup.
As recently as April 24, Crosby told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The River 97.1 FM in an interview to promote his upcoming Atlanta appearance that all signs indicated the anniversary festival would take place.
According to Billboard, more than $30 million was spent on the festival lineup and most artists have already been paid by Amplifi Live, the investment arm of Dentsu Aegis Network.
Last week, rumors circulated about the demise of Woodstock 50 when the expected ticket on-sale date passed. Organizers were reportedly concerned that the festival site of Watkins Glen International Speedway in Watkins Glen, N.Y., wouldn’t be able to accommodate the 100,000 expected to attend; as well, site readiness and permit issues doomed the event.
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