When you think about Woodstock, what kinda vibe does your brain conjure up? Does your mind immediately jump to sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll? Wild, mud-spattered dance parties, the live soundtrack for which features musical giants like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young? Or does your mind drift to a more buttoned-up program of educational panel discussions?
If the latter, maybe you'll be interested in returning to the original Woodstock site for a 50th anniversary celebration that includes "TED-style talks from leading futurists and retro-tech experts." This being 2019, you cannot escape the long-reaching tentacles of tech types, not even on Yasgur's farm.
The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which sits on the same ground where the 1969 festival was held, will host the Bethel Woods Music and Culture festival in conjunction with Live Nation and INVNT to celebrate Woodstock's 50th birthday. The three-day event will begin August 16th and continue through the 18th, and will include "live performances from prominent and emerging artists spanning multiple genres and decades," alongside the aforementioned tech talks. A BWCA spokesperson could not provide more information as to the projected concert lineup, but a press release promises "a number of musicians who performed at the iconic festival will be invited once again to the hallowed grounds to perform."
In addition, attendees can also check out the "immersive" and "interactive" exhibit honoring the festival's half-century marker. A statement from the BWCA explains that the exhibit—We Are Golden: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival and Aspirations for an Aquarian Future—"examines Woodstock and what the youth of 1969 wanted for the world, places the festival in the context of the positive societal changes it has spawned, and asks today's youth what THEY are asking the world to do now."
The Bethel Woods site boasts an "800-acre campus" and an amphitheater that can seat 15,000 people, but according to original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang, that's not enough for the anniversary celebration he's envisioning. Lang's Woodstock Ventures LLC—an events group Lang formed with his three fellow co-creators and their families—does have an event in the works, but it won't be affiliated with the Bethel Woods commemoration. "While the original site in Bethel remains close to our hearts, it no longer has the capacity to hold a real Woodstock Festival," Lang wrote in a statement. "I'm delighted that Bethel Woods is doing events in the coming year to celebrate what we brought to life in 1969."
Gothamist has contacted Woodstock Ventures for elaboration on the current plan, and we will update if we hear back. In any case, the website says a location will be announced in early January, so we should know soon.
