Despite promising to announce the initial lineup at the end of last month, and a report that the festival is in trouble,Michael Lang tellsVariety that Woodstock 50 is still a go for August 16th, 17th and 18th at Watkins Glen in upstate New York.
He says, “We have excellent partners and an incredible talent lineup of over 80 artists which will be announced within the next couple of weeks. We’re preparing a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
One of the original acts who'd showed interest,Santana, has opted to perform instead that weekend at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which sits on the original festival's site in Bethel, New York. Carlos Santana explains, "They have an amphitheater there. I’m going to invite whoever is still here, whether it’s Joan Baez or members from Sly Stone, and I’m going to play Santana music. Santana’s going to be the house band, but I want to be able to honor those who are still here and maybe invite rappers like Common or Kendrick Lamar.”
Live Nation had planned for a three-day Woodstock celebration that same weekend at Bethel Woods, but scaled back the plans and now it's just a another stop on the summer amphitheater schedule for Santana, with special guests The Doobie Brothers, and Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band on Friday the 16th.
Calls into Michael Lang's office to ask when he'll announce the Woodstock 50 schedule have not been returned.