The 50th anniversary of Woodstock — among the most iconic music festivals in history — is set to take place in Watkins Glen, New York, Aug. 16-18. On Thursday, Variety reported that headliners will include Chance the Rapper, Jay-Z, the Black Keys and Imagine Dragons, among others.
“Billed as the “Woodstock Music & Arts Fair” in 1969, the “3 days of peace & music” took place on the grounds of an upstate Bethel, New York, 600-acre dairy farm. In a stunning turn of events, more than 400,000 fans would end up attending the festival, which featured over 30 acts. The lineup included some of the greatest musicmakers in history, including Joan Baez, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Who, Jefferson Airplane, The Band, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
The anniversary concert will take place about 150 miles from the original festival site, on 1,000 acres of land centered at Watkins Glen International, and feature three main stages, according to organizer/promoter Michael Lang, also the organizer of the original Woodstock festival.
“The original festival in ‘69 was a reaction by the youth of the time to the causes we felt compelled to fight for — civil rights, women’s rights, and the antiwar movement, and it gave way to our mission to share peace, love and music,” said Lang via statement in January, when he announced this year’s celebration. Today, we’re experiencing similar disconnects in our country, and one thing we’ve learned is that music has the power to bring people together. So, it’s time to bring the Woodstock spirit back, get involved and make our voices heard.”
According to a report by Rolling Stone, other acts set for the 50th anniversary lineup include Gary Clark Jr., the Killers, Greta Van Fleet, Cage the Elephant and Courtney Barnett. Organizers have not yet confirmed the lineup for the three-day festival, and the on-sale date for tickets has yet to be announced.
More details will be available soon. Visit woodstock.com.
The official 50th anniversary poster. | Courtesy Woodstock 50.
