The organiser of Woodstock 50 has been forced to address what he calls “rumours” of a cancellation, after the festival’s delayed ticket sale sparked fear amongst fans.
In August of this year, some of the biggest and brightest names in music are set to descend upon Watkins Glen, New York for Woodstock 50.
A 50th anniversary of the iconic Woodstock festival, the event is set to be headlined by the likes of The Killers, Jay-Z, and Dead & Company, along with a handful of acts that performed at the original event five decades earlier.
With Courtney Barnett and Brian Cadd serving as the only Aussie acts on the bill, the festival has already received some criticism its lineup being “nowhere near the spirit” of the original fest, along with a high-profile cancellation of The Black Keys, just days after its announcement.
Now, Michael Lang, founder of the original Woodstock and its 50th anniversary edition, has addressed rumours that the festival may be cancelled in the near future.
Check out Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwIymq0iTsw
As Hits Daily Double reported on Friday, agents for performing artists received a press release noting that the on-sale date for the festival’s tickets had been put on hold for the time being.
“There is currently a hold on the Woodstock 50 on-sale date,” the release explained. “We are waiting on an official press statement from Woodstock 50 regarding updated announce, ticket pricing, and overall festival information. We will get this information to you as soon as we receive it.”
As sources explained to Variety, this postponement stemmed from a few issues faced by the festival, including a delay in permit clearances, which may be related to the festival’s inability to secure the original Woodstock location in upstate New York.
However, in a statement given to Billboard, Michael Lang has shrugged off cancellation fears.
“Woodstock is a phenomenon that for fifty years has drawn attention to its principles and also the rumours that can be attached to that attention,” Lang explained, noting that any talk of the festival being cancelled in “just more rumours.”
This isn’t the first time that onlookers have questioned the actions of Woodstock 50 organisers this year, with Michael Lang discussing back in March why the ticket on-sale date was taking place more than a month after the lineup announcement.
“There’s always been lots of rumors around Woodstock,” Lang explained on March 5th. “We have excellent partners and an incredible talent lineup of over 80 artists which will be announced within the next couple of weeks. We’re preparing a once in a lifetime event.”
At this stage, there’s no word when tickets will go on sale for Woodstock 50.
Check out Courtney Barnett’s cover of the Grateful Dead’s ‘New Speedway Boogie’:
