It’s good to know that some things remain constant these days, Woodstock 50 drama among them. Nearly a year after the doomed festival was finally canceled, organizers are filing suit against Dentsu, the Japanese advertising firm set to finance the event. They’re claiming “sabotage,†after Dentsu Aegis Network and its affiliate Amplifi announced the festival’s cancellation in late April, one of the first nails in the festival’s eventual coffin. The festival, set for August 16 to 18 at Watkins Glen International in New York, was eventually canceled in July when Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, and Santana dropped out.
“Dentsu and Amplifi made the cold-blooded decision to exit their investment having nothing to do with any alleged breaches by Woodstock 50, but rather to avoid the potential that the Festival would not make money or not be as successful as they hoped,†the suit claims, according to Variety. Dentsu’s cancellation announcement led to a first lawsuit against the company in May 2019, in which the New York Supreme Court claimed that the festival could still take place but Dentsu would not have to return the $17 million it allegedly took from the festival. A follow-up lawsuit a year later may be the closest these people will ever get to a proper anniversary performance.