UPDATE: Less than an hour after the festival lost its venue, event producer CID Entertainment also announced that they are cutting ties with Woodstock 50. “CID Entertainment had been engaged to provide enhanced camping, travel packages and transportation for Woodstock 50,” CID Entertainment head Dan Berkowitz said in a statement to Billboard. “Given developments, we can confirm that CID is no longer involved in Woodstock 50 in any capacity.”
Original story: The already troubled Woodstock 50 celebration just got a little bit more troubled. The festival, which was meant to take place in Watkins Glen, New York, has lost its venue. According to The Poughkeepsie Journal, WIVB, TMZ, Stereogum, and others, Watkins Glen International (WGI) has pulled out as the host for the festival.
WGI gave a statement Monday afternoon sharing the news: “Watkins Glen International terminated the site license for Woodstock pursuant to provisions of the contract. As such, WGI will not be hosting the Woodstock 50 Festival.”
The loss of venue follows several other losses for Woodstock 50. In April, the fest was reportedly canceled after losing the support of one of its main financial backers, Dentsu Aegis Network. Festival co-founders insisted that Woodstock 50 would go on with new investors — although some of the festival’s high-profile headliners, including John Mayer, had no idea if they’d actually end up taking the stage at Woodstock or not.
Tim O’Hearn, the administrator for Schuyler County where the festival was supposed to take place, expressed his disappointment in the festival’s troubles in a statement to The Poughkeepsie Journal. “While today’s announcement is difficult to absorb, it is not completely unexpected, given the well-publicized delays related to this planned event,” he said. “We commend Watkins Glen International for their actions, which we feel are in the overall best interest of the community.”
The festival, which is meant to take place August 16-19, has not been officially canceled, and festival cofounders have not spoken out about venue loss. If they decide to continue with Woodstock 50, the festival will need to find a new venue.
