The anniversary celebrations really aren’t going great
The troubled festival to mark the 50th anniversary of Woodstock has had another major setback, with reports that Jay-Z has pulled out.
The festival is due to take place on August 16-18, but tickets still haven’t gone on sale.
Jay-Z’s cancellation has come just the day after a new venue was finally confirmed by Woodstock organisers. After failing to secure a venue in New York, the festival is now scheduled to take place at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
A Jay-Z source told Associated Press of his withdrawal.
As well as Jay-Z, another major artist has also cancelled their appearance. Creedence Clearwater Revival were one of the major bands to appear at the original Woodstock in 1969. As a callback, their singer John Fogerty was due to appear at the 50th anniversary celebrations, but he too has now pulled out of the festival.
As it stands, acts still scheduled to appear at Woodstock 50 include Chance The Rapper, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, The Raconteurs and Run The Jewels.
Santana, who played at the original festival, is due to appear. So too is Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, whose former band famously cancelled their appearance at Woodstock in 1969 to instead play a show 150 miles away in Bethel.
Those scheduled acts are listed on the official website for Woodstock 50. However, according to The New York Times, none of the original artists listed when the concert was announced in March have confirmed they are still appearing.
Before announcing the new venue, Woodstock organiser Michael Lang had insisted the festival will go ahead. It had secured new funding, after original investors Dentsu Aegis Network had pulled out.
