Woodstock began in 1969, as 500 million people gathered on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York for one of the most iconic music festivals in history. The feelings of love and peace felt within that very special weekend are difficult to describe but these photos allow us to experience some of its magic.
Originally, about 50,000 people were expected to attend Woodstock, but by August 13, at least that number were already camped out and on location with over 100,000 tickets pre-sold. As an estimated one million people descended on Woodstock, its organizers scrambled to add more facilities.
Woodstock's audience was very diverse and a reflection of the rapidly changing times. Although the crowd at Woodstock experienced terrible weather, muddy conditions and a lack of food, water and adequate sanitation, the overall vibe was very harmonious. Thirty-two musicians performed at Woodstock that weekend and officially ended on Monday after Jimi Hendrix left the stage.
Woodstock will forever be ingrained as a staple of music history, and you definitely don't want to miss it's return in 2019 for it's 50th Anniversary! Though the festival will not be called Woodstock, it will be held on the historic grounds of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts where the original Woodstock took place. The festival will be a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock and is set to take place on August 16-18, 2019. Though the festival lineup has not been confirmed nor denied, a leak this past week revealed potential headliners to the likes of Bon Jovi, Elton John, Ariana Grande, The Chainsmokers, Zac Brown Band, and Florida Georgia Line just to name a few. The likelihood that all of these artists will perform for the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock is still uncertain, though it sounds like the festival planners have quite a weekend planned for their attendees. The official event name, headliners, and ticketing information will be released in the coming weeks.
Click here to view the official Woodstock teaser.
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You can find more images from one of music's most iconic moments in history here.