The Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival’s Co-Founder Promises The Fest Has Not Been Canceled

Yesterday, it was revealed that Dentsu Aegis Network, who was funding the Woodstock 50th anniversary festival, had pulled their funding from the event, saying they decided on that course of action because they “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.”

They went on to say that the fest was canceled, which Woodstock representatives denied, saying in a statement, “Woodstock 50 vehemently denies the festival’s cancellation and legal remedy will (be) sought.” Now, one of the festival’s co-founders has doubled down on the rebuttal. In a statement released on his Facebook page, Michael Lang — who also co-created the original Woodstock festival — wrote:

“We are committed to ensuring that the 50th anniversary of Woodstock is marked with a festival deserving of its iconic name and place in American history and culture. Although our financial partner is withdrawing, we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners. We would like to acknowledge the State of New York and Schuyler County for all of their hard work and support. The bottom line is, there is going to be a Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival, as there must be, and it’s going to be a blast!”

Among all the uncertainty, what is confirmed is that the fest has an impressive lineup, led by Jay-Z, The Killers, Chance The Rapper, Robert Plant, Miley Cyrus, The Black Keys, Halsey, and many others.