Woodstock 50 Organizers “Considering All Options” After Unanimous Permit Rejection
Woodstock 50 has issued a new statement on the status of the festival. In an email to Pitchfork, a Woodstock 50 spokesperson said that the event organizers are “considering all options at this point.”
The 50th anniversary of the iconic 1969 festival—slated to take place August 16-18—has encountered multiple setbacks since it was announced back in January. In April, ticket sales were delayed following the festival’s failure to obtain a required permit from the New York State Department of Health (DOH). Later that month, investors Dentsu Aegis Network pulled financial support, announcing that the festival had been called off.
In the months since those initial hurdles, Woodstock 50 has entered a legal battle with Dentsu, lost its event producer and original venue in Watkins Glen, New York, and was denied a permit for a new venue at Vernon Downs. On Tuesday (July 16), the town of Vernon voted unanimously to reject an appeal by festival organizers following the denied permit application. It marked the third attempt by the festival to move to Vernon Downs race track. Woodstock representatives subsequently issued the following statement on the matter:
Woodstock 50 is disappointed that the Town of Vernon has passed up the opportunity to hold the historic 50th Anniversary Festival by denying our robust and thoughtful proposal. We regret that those in Vernon who supported Woodstock have been deprived of the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of the rebirth of a cultural peace movement that changed the world in 1969 and is what the world needs now. We want to thank the artists who stood by us. We are grateful for the support of Vernon Downs and its generous owner Jeffrey Gural.
Throughout the numerous obstacles the event has faced, the organizers for Woodstock 50 have insisted that the festival will proceed, until their most recent statement today (July 17).
Read Pitchfork’s explainer “Woodstock 50 Is Canceled, Unless It’s Not—Here’s Why.”
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
