NEW YORK (AP) — Woodstock 50 is proving to be as chaotic as the original festival held in 1969.
A financial investor in the festival announced Monday it was pulling its funding from the anniversary
event, set to take place Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York.
"Despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, 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," Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live said
in a statement.
Representatives for Woodstock 50 or Michael Lang, who co-founded the festival, didn’t immediately reply
to emails Monday seeking comment.
The anniversary event has had some bumps in the road in the last few weeks. Tickets were originally
supposed to go on sale last week, but was postponed (a ticket sale date still has not been announced).
And some of the performers leaked to the press ahead of its announcement.
Jay-Z, Dead & Company and the Killers were announced as headliners at the event, to take place
about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northwest of the original site. The event is separate from an
anniversary concert planned at the site of the original festival in 1969.
More than 80 artists, including John Fogerty, Miley Cyrus, Santana, Imagine Dragons, Robert Plant and The
Sensational Space Shifters, the Black Keys, Chance the Rapper and Janelle Monae, are expected to perform
on three main stages at Watkins Glen International racetrack in the Finger Lakes for Woodstock 50.
The original concert was held on a farm in Bethel, New York, that is now run as an attraction by The
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The venue has its own anniversary event Aug. 16-18 with performances
by Ringo Starr, Fogerty and Santana.