Columbia, MD – JAY-Z will no longer be taking part in the 50th anniversary Woodstock festival.
The announcement comes three weeks prior to the festival’s scheduled date leaving Woodstock without several artists from its originally announced lineup.
Trouble surrounding the 50th anniversary Woodstock began at its inception.
Michael Lang, the festival’s co-creator and producer, first came under scrutiny from festival purist who griped at the addition Hip Hop acts such as JAY-Z, Common, Vince Staples and Run The Jewels. He defended his decision by explaining the lineup was curated to intentionally attract younger audiences.
“It’s not something we’re planning on doing every year, the 50th is a special anniversary,” he explains. “We’re hoping to engage people in social discourse and give them an incredible weekend, one that they’ll hopefully remember for the rest their lives.”
Woodstock lost support from their financial partners, the Dentsu Aegis Network, on April 29. Despite festival cancellation claims from the Japanese-based investors, Woodstock organizers told Pitchfork the event would move forward.
Most recently, Woodstock organizers were forced to relocate the festival from its original location Watkins Glen International racetrack in Watkins Glen, New York, approximately 115 miles northwest the original site due to the venue pulling out.
According to a Bloomberg report, Woodstock is now scheduled to take place on August 16-18 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
Tickets have yet to go on sale.