Lang dismissed this kind of criticism and noted that the civic and social engagement element is not top of mind at other music festivals, even if he said his one trip to Burning Man 18 years ago was “like a vacation on Pluto.”
But not everything is running smoothly for the new festival. Booking talent has been difficult. Lang tried to lock down Bruno Mars to do a Sly tribute, but the performer was unavailable. And his attempt to nab Lady Gaga proved unsuccessful after she rode the hype from A Star Is Born right into a Las Vegas residency. He has booked Jay-Z and Miley Cyrus along with acts from the original Woodstock such as Carlos Santana. Lang said tickets would cost around $450 and were originally set to go on sale Monday, April 22, before being delayed.
There’s also a worthy competitor. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, set on the original grounds of the festival, has an anniversary lineup featuring Ringo Starr and Santana. Lang blamed Live Nation for presenting the Bethel Woods show as a rival event, and says he sent organizers a cease-and-desist letter.
“As the stewards of the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, we have been planning commemorative events for over two years, of which Woodstock Ventures has been aware," said Darlene Fedun, CEO of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. She denied receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the Woodstock 50 camp.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.