Virgin Produced Pulls Out Of Woodstock 50 After Site Permit Denied: 'Simply No Time Left'

–

After announcing it had taken an advisory role to the embattled Woodstock 50 festival hoping to take place Aug. 16-18 in New York, Virgin Produced has said there is simply not enough time left to salvage the event, which has failed to secure a site or have tickets go on sale.

“Virgin Produced, who has been advising with the Woodstock 50 team, has officially concluded its consulting role with respect to the company and the proposed festival,” the statement provided to Pollstar reads. “Given that the attempt to secure permits with the Town of Vernon, NY and related state agencies has been finally denied, Virgin Produced has concluded its advisory mandate and terminated its services agreement. Virgin Produced, and its CEO Jason Felts, wish Woodstock all the best in its future endeavors.”

Woodstock 50 had sought an administrative permit from the Town of Vernon to host the three-day festival at Vernon Downs next month and was denied again July 16.

In a statement released Tuesday evening, Woodstock 50 lamented the decision. “Woodstock 50 is disappointed that the Town of Vernon has passed up the opportunity to hold the historic 50th Anniversary Festival by denying our robust and thoughtful proposal,” the statement read.

“We regret that those in Vernon who supported Woodstock have been deprived of the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of the rebirth of a cultural peace movement that changed the world in 1969 and is what the world needs now,” the statement continued. “We want to thank the artists who stood by us. We are grateful for the support of Vernon Downs and its generous owner Jeffrey Gural.”

The news comes after the event’s original producer, Superfly and later, CID Entertainment, also pulled out.

“Woodstock will always be remembered as an iconic moment in history,” Felts said in the statement. “Despite our formidable effort to assist Michael Lang and the Woodstock 50 ownership in resurrecting their NY festival, it has become apparent that time has expired. It is imperative to us to produce an event at the highest level; in which all artists and consumers deserve. Without a venue and related permits secured, there is simply no time left to do so.”

The announcement also comes after Woodstock organizers announced securing a new financial partner in Oppenheimer, which appeared to be a shot in the arm.

“As a brand that shares a passion for music, peace, and love, we found it an honor to advise our client through this challenging period and are saddened to hear of the Town of Vernon’s decision to deny permits. We wish the Woodstock team the best in their future endeavors. We are hopeful that Woodstock will live on and that ownership will once again have an opportunity to hold an event that both respects the brand’s legacy and represents the current and future generation of likeminded fans.” Virgin Produced, the entertainment arm of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, is part of the team behind the Kaaboo festival brand with its flagship in Del Mar along with newer destinations in Kaaboo Cayman as well as Kaaboo Texas.