Woodstock 50 fest will go on in Maryland

NEW YORK - AFP

This year's 50th anniversary Woodstock festival will be held not in upstate New York but in Maryland, according to an announcement coming just weeks before the massive event is to take place.

Woodstock 50 producers told The New York Times that the Aug. 16-18 event would be held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland northeast of the US capitol.

Much of the music world had given up on the prospect of the anniversary blast, as the festival's producers ran into a number of financial woes and rejection by multiple venues in upstate New York, where the original 1969 celebration of peace, love and music took place.

The lineup announced earlier this year boasted heavy hitters including Jay-Z and Miley Cyrus along with performers who took the stage at the original performance, such as John Fogerty and Santana.

It is unclear which artists will perform at Woodstock 50, as artist contracts were linked to the original venue of Watkins Glen.

According to court documents, the festival had already shelled out $32 million to artists on the first lineup, and likely performers would get to keep those payments whether or not they stay on board.

The outdoor amphitheater in Maryland is run by the same concert promoter who runs the well-known 9:30 and Anthem clubs in Washington.

Tickets for the event have yet to go on sale.

Michael Lang, an original promoter behind the 1969 celebration, who had received much blame by financiers who backed out of the event slated for Watkins Glen, has repeatedly likened Woodstock's woes to the 1969 version.

That show was also dismissed from its planned locale just weeks before it was to go on, and moved to the now storied town of Bethel, New York.

A separate anniversary concert is planned for that spot over the same weekend.