JAY-Z has reportedly pulled out of the 50th anniversary Woodstock festival less than a month before the event is supposed to take place.
A source told the Associated Press that Hov will no longer close the festival, which is scheduled for Aug. 16-18. The news arrived the same day that John Fogerty—who performed at the original 1969 festival with Creedence Clearwater Revival—also pulled out.
Woodstock 50 has been plagued with a number of issues, including permit denials and the loss of a financial partner and a production company. Tickets have also not gone on sale. The festival was supposed to take place across three main stages at Watkins Glen International Speedway in upstate New York, about 115 miles northwest of the original Woodstock grounds; unfortunately, the venue also canceled.
Now, according to Bloomberg, the event will take place at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater in Columbia, Maryland. However, a representative for Woodstock 50 couldn't verify the report to AP. It’s also unclear whether artists set to perform will agree to the venue change.
Woodstock 50 initially announced its lineup in March, which included JAY-Z, Chance the Rapper, Vince Staples, Miley Cyrus, Halsey, Run the Jewels, Janelle Monáe, Princess Nokia, Common, and more. The lineup is also supposed to include artists who appeared at the 1969 Woodstock, like Santana, David Crosby, John Fogerty, Canned Heat, and members of Dead & Co.
