Courtesy of Woodstock Ventures LCAgainst what seemed like insurmountable odds, the organizers for the Woodstock 50 festival have announced that the event will go on — although it’ll now take place hundreds of miles away from the originally planned site in upstate New York.
According to documents obtained by Bloomberg, the three-day concert extravaganza now will be held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
The website reports that the 50th anniversary festival is still scheduled to happen on its originally announced dates, August 16, 17 and 18, although it’s not clear which artists will be performing.
The music acts announced to play Woodstock 50 include Santana, John Fogerty, David Crosby, Dead & Company, Robert Plant, Miley Cyrus, Jay-Z, The Killers and Imagine Dragons.
The festival would displace a previously announced concert headlined by The Smashing Pumpkins at Merriweather Post Pavilion on August 17. The venue’s capacity is 32,000, much smaller than that of the originally announced site, Watkins Glen International speedway in Watkins Glen, New York.
According to Bloomberg, the festival is being rechristened “Woodstock 50 Washington” since it’s taking place near the nation’s capital. It’s also now being touted as a fundraiser for organizations focused on climate change and encouraging voter registration. The organizers are also hoping to raise money by offering a live-stream of the festival.
The news of the new venue comes after Woodstock 50 organizers last week lost an appeal to hold the event at Vernon Downs racetrack in Vernon, NY. The organizers had sought to move the fest to Vernon after their license to stage the event in Watkins Glen was terminated in June.
Various issues have plagued Woodstock 50 since plans for the festival were unveiled in March, including the original financial backer pulling out of the event. Tickets have yet to go on sale.
Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
