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Woodstock 40th Anniversary Seek Sponsors For 2009 Festival

// July 17th, 2009 // EVENT NEWS

As of recently, the co-founders of the original Woodstock have been deciding whether to go forward with their festival - without sponsored funding - or to just cancel it all together.

The festival has finally reached its 40th anniversary this year and is slowly running out of time to celebrate this massive achievement before the year ends. Considering the three remaining founders of the festival cannot agree on the location, or the overall plan, it doesn't look promising that the event will take place this year or live up to the Woodstock brand. Of course, after the 1999 version of the festival, there is definitely a looming cloud weighing on the stakeholders' minds. With the history of violence, sexual assaults and fires, there is a lot that needs to consider to make sure there will be truly 3 days of peace and music.

Michael Lang said plans for a 40th anniversary Woodstock concert are "all speculative ideas" for now, but he hopes to bring them to reality this summer.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, of course, closed the ill-fated 30th anniversary concert in 1999, which was marred by complaints about the facilities, food and water prices and ended with a fiery riot. But Lang said he was confident that the Woodstock brand was not permanently damaged.

"I think it always hearkens back to the '69 event, somehow," he said. "When people think [of Woodstock] they don't think '99 or '94. They think [of] the '69 event. I think [1999] has its ramifications, but I don't think it did any real damage in that sense."

With or without concerts, Woodstock's 40th will be celebrated with an array of projects this year. Lang has written a book in collaboration with Holly George-Warren that will be published in August. He's also working on a VH1 documentary with Barbara Koppel.

No matter if the event takes place or not, the non-profit, peaceful mission of the festival will live on in history well beyond its 40th anniversary.

To find out everything you ever wanted to know about Woodstock visit: Woodstock Peace Music Memories.

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