Organizers of Woodstock 50 canceled the commemorative festival Wednesday after several performers reportedly withdrew from the event, which was to have been held this month at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
“We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has made it impossible to put on the festival we imagined with the great line-up we had booked and the social engagement we were anticipating,” Michael Lang, co-founder of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, said in a statement.
Scheduled for Aug. 16-18, the event was intended to commemorate the three-day Woodstock Music & Art Fair that attracted 500,000 people to a pasture in upstate New York in 1969.
Organizers last week changed the venue to Merriweather Post after experiencing some budget problems and failing to secure the permits for its original venue at Watkins Glen International racetrack in Watkins Glen, New York.
Though Woodstock 50 was scheduled to begin in mid-August, little to no information was available about the festival’s lineup of performers, among other details.
The operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion expressed hope that some sort of show could go on — sometime.
“While we were able to quickly eliminate the venue portion of the challenge to present Woodstock, it was just too late in the game,” said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., owner of the 9:30 Club and The Anthem. “Hopefully, with plenty of time to prepare, Merriweather will become the site of a future festival that captures the original vibe. A lot of people clearly wanted it to happen.”
In March, Woodstock 50 organizers announced a lineup of performers that included original Woodstock acts John Fogerty, Santana and David Crosby, and modern headliners like the Black Keys, Jay Z and Miley Cyrus.
Some acts, like the Black Keys, withdrew from the festival earlier this year. Last week, Woodstock organizers released all acts from their contracts. On Wednesday, Miley Cyrus reportedly withdrew from the show, precipitating the festival’s cancellation.
Other artists who were booked for the festival included the Killers, Imagine Dragons, Chance the Rapper, Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters, Janelle Monae, Brandi Carlile and Halsey.
“We released all the talent so any involvement on their part would be voluntary,” Mr. Lang said in his written statement. “Due to conflicting radius issues in the DC area many acts were unable to participate and others passed for their own reasons.”
Mr. Lang is asking Woodstock 50 artists who already were paid to donate 10% of their earnings to HeadCount, a nonprofit group that registers voters at music events, or to another organization.
Woodstock will still celebrate its anniversary: Ringo Starr, Santana and Fogerty will perform at Woodstock’s original site in Bethel, New York, in a smaller anniversary event at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts not connected to Woodstock 50.
Howard County officials had been excited by the prospect of Woodstock 50 coming to Maryland, but did not offer details to how the festival could have affected the lives of the residents.
“I share in the disappointment of everyone who hoped to celebrate the anniversary of ’Peace & Music’ with a festival this summer,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “While Woodstock 50 will not be coming to Howard County, we continue to offer tremendous cultural events at Merriweather Post Pavilion and beyond.”
⦁ This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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