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Woodstock Backer Pulls Plug on 50th Anniversary Music Festival

Woodstock Backer Pulls Plug on 50th Anniversary Music Festival

(Bloomberg) -- Peace, love and music may have to wait another day.

The main backer for this summer’s Woodstock 50 music festival announced it was canceling the event, saying it’s worried about tarnishing the Woodstock name. The three-day event, which was supposed to feature performances from the Killers, Jay-Z and Miley Cyrus, was slated for Aug. 16 through Aug. 18 in Watkins Glen, New York.

It was scheduled to take place on the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival, a watershed moment for 1960s music and counterculture expression.

“We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival,” Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live said in a statement. “But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees.”

So the company decided to pull the plug.

“As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved,” Amplifi Live said.

Organizers of the event may try to proceed with other partners. In a statement to the Poughkeepsie Journal, the festival said, “Woodstock 50 vehemently denies the festival’s cancellation and legal remedy will (be) sought.”

The event’s organizers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To contact the reporters on this story: Nick Turner in Los Angeles at nturner7@bloomberg.net;Lucas Shaw in Los Angeles at lshaw31@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net

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