It's been 50 years since your parents tried to go to Woodstock, and now the festival is back. Woodstock 50, which will take place August 16-18 in New York's Watkins Glen, announced its official lineup, which includes acts like Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Run The Jewels, Janelle Monáe, Chance the Rapper, and more.
There are also a few headliners who remember the original Woodstock: Robert Plant, John Fogerty, Santana, David Crosby, and The Zombies. To invoke the political spirit of the original Woodstock '69—which "proved that it is possible to live together in harmony and with compassion"—the event partnered with organizations like March for Our Lives, Conservation International, and Chance the Rapper's Social Works, in order to "help heal the planet."
Hopefully, this one will be better than the last redux of the festival. Woodstock '99 was a complete disaster. People got dehydrated because of the heat, Woodstock's refusal to allow in outside water, and the high cost of water inside the festival. Attendees set fire to stages with candles meant for a candlelight vigil during the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge." And police investigated reports of multiple rapes that allegedly took place in mosh pits. Though we can't be sure no sexual assaults happened at Woodstock '69, Jane Ganahl of The San Francisco Examiner called '99 "the day the music died."
Woodstock 50 makes no mention of Woodstock '99 in the "History" section of the website. Instead, they play up the balance between the old and new, saying that while they are focusing on the issues of our time, "our call to action is timeless." Like the original, Woodstock 50 also aims to have an eclectic lineup. There are quite a few hip-hop acts—Princess Nokia, Vince Staples, and Common—which round out the rock- and pop-focused lineup, with bands like The Killers, The Raconteurs, The Black Keys, Imagine Dragons, and The Lumineers. Tickets go on sale April 22. And merch is already available—because nothing says counterculture quite like a Woodstock polo shirt.
