The road to Woodstock 50 has been anything but smooth.
Since it was announced in late 2018, the anniversary festival has been plagued by a number of issues, such as venue changes, legal disputes with investors, cancellation rumors, and the loss of headliner JAY-Z. But event organizers aren't giving up.
According to TMZ, the team behind Woodstock 50 has decided to change the three-day festival to a free—yes, free—benefit concert that will rely on donations. Insiders say there will be a limited number of seats to the show, and that organizers will release instruction on how to secure a ticket at the end of next week.
Per TMZ:
Our sources say organizers are still hopeful they'll be able to put on a three-day festival with music throughout ... and final plans are still very much in motion. In fact, we're told all artists who are still booked and scheduled to perform have been paid in full.
There are still a few unanswered questions surrounding the event. Sources say the performance lineup has not been finalized, as the venue change reportedly voided artists' contracts. It's also unclear if Woodstock 50 will partner with a specific charity, but insiders told TMZ all attendees will be "encouraged to donate to their favorite causes."
Woodstock 50 is expected to go down in Columbia, Maryland at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, on Aug. 16—50 years after the inaugural festival took place.
Merriweather Post Pavilion operator Seth Hurwitz confirmed the free ticketing model to Pitchfork.
“That was the last thing we heard too,” he wrote in an email. “We’re still waiting to hear who is playing, but that’s not our job. They do still have a venue if they have a show.”
