WOODSTOCK '99 TO TAKE PLACE IN ROME, NEW YORK
All Roads Lead to Rome
NEW YORK - Woodstock '99 announced today that the 30th Anniversary of=20
the Woodstock Music & Art Fair will take place in Rome, New York=20
(July 23, 24, & 25). The organizers have signed a letter of intent=20
with the city of Rome, pending approval of all required permits.
The site of the Woodstock '99 Festival will be the former Griffiss=20
Air Force base, a picturesque location at the foot of the Adirondack=20
Mountains. The line-up of talent will be announced in late March.
The 1994 25th Anniversary Woodstock festival took place in=20
Saugerties, New York. And, while organizers had planned to return=20
this year, Rome proved to be a more suitable site.
"We were seriously exploring the possibility of returning to=20
Saugerties," explained Woodstock founder and producer Michael Lang.=20
"but because of certain time constraints and logistics we've decided=20
that Rome would be the ideal location. We truly appreciate the work=20
and unending commitment from our friends in Saugerties and Ulster=20
county."
"This year's festival will capture all the spirit and excitement that=20
made the two previous Woodstock festivals the defining events of=20
their generations. Musically it will be nothing short of amazing,"=20
added co-producer John Scher of the Metropolitan Entertainment Group.
Rome Mayor Joseph A. Griffo said that Woodstock '99 offers his city=20
an unprecedented opportunity; "We are very excited about hosting the=20
world's most famous music festival and look forward to the=20
substantial economic and cultural boost it will give our community.=20
We are confident that we can move ahead and work together with the=20
producers for a successful event."
WOODSTOCK '99 - EUROPE ANNOUNCED
=46irst Wave of Artists
January 28, 1999
Supergroup Metallica
Rebel rocker Iggy Pop
Italian rock star Zucchero
Soulful punksters Skunk Anansie
Pop trancers Faithless
No nonsense singer-songwriter Anouk
Platinum-selling artist Herbert Gr=F6nemeyer
Italian rock star Vasco Rossi
Hip hop stars Die Fantastischen Vier
Theatrical rockers Drahdiwaberl
Turkeys' most famous female rock star, Sezen Aksu
Organizers of Woodstock, the most famous Music and Arts Festival in=20
the world, today announced the first wave of artists for WOODSTOCK 99=20
(Europe) which will take place near Vienna, Austria from 16-18 July=20
'99.
Ever true to the motto of One World, music fans from across the whole=20
of Europe (both East and West) will come together for WOODSTOCK '99=20
and this cultural diversity will be celebrated both on and off the=20
stage.
This huge celebration of peace and music is shaping up as one of the=20
greatest musical gatherings of all time, and certainly Europe's=20
largest ever 'rock fest', with international supergroup Metallica=20
sharing the bill with pop trancers Faithless, Italian rock stars=20
Zucchero and Vasco Rossi, rebel rocker Iggy Pop, Germany's=20
platinum-selling artist Herbert Gr=F6nemeyer, theatrical rockers=20
Drahdiwaberl. And a host of acts who came of age long after the=20
original Woodstock in 1969, including soulful punksters Skunk=20
Anansie, hip hop stars Die Fantastischen Vier, Holland's no nonsense=20
singer-songwriter Anouk and Sezen Aksu, Turkey's most famous female=20
rock star.
With two main stages featuring over 70 hours of live music, this=20
initial announcement only marks the very beginning as a total of over=20
100 acts will appear. The WOODSTOCK '99 line-up will ultimately=20
reflect the diversity of today's musical tastes featuring everything=20
from hard rock to reggae, punk to electronic dance tunes, global=20
beats to gospel. Plus unique artist collaborations never to be=20
repeated again.
WOODSTOCK '99 will take place in Wiener-Neustadt, 40 kms from Vienna,=20
in the very heart of Europe. Organizers expect a 250,000 strong crowd=20
and the festival site covers a huge area of over 450 hectares (4.5=20
sq.kms), enough space for 830 football pitches.
The internationally renowned production designer, Mark Fisher,=20
(famous for staging some of the worlds most spectacular rock concerts=20
for Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and U2 amongst others) has been=20
commissioned to design the festival site at Wiener Neustadt. In=20
addition to the two main stages, there will be four other performance=20
zones accommodating a broad spectrum of entertainment from dance=20
beats to acoustic riffs. On Friday night the dance zone will feature,=20
amongst others, 'Woodstock in Dub' hosted by Kruder & Dorfmeister and=20
on Saturday night Sunshine Enterprises 'Goes Woodstock' with an=20
international DJ line-up. While the 'Global Village' and 'Extreme=20
Sports Park' will house a countless amount of activities; from a=20
buzzing market-place, to cinemas, art exhibitions, skateboard ramps,=20
climbing walls, cyber zones and chill-out areas. And Spain's leading=20
theater group, La Fura Del Baus, present the Human Washing Machine.=20
This amazing construction will enable festival-goers to move a long a=20
human conveyer belt which both covers them in mud and then gets them=20
squeaky clean!
One week later, from 23-25 July 1999, the event will move to the USA,=20
making WOODSTOCK '99 the last great world-wide cultural event of the=20
twentieth century.
Michael Lang, one of the original Woodstock '69 partners and=20
organizer of 1994 's hugely successful 350,000 strong event in NY,=20
has commented:
"Woodstock has always been more than just a rock concert, it's a=20
celebration of music and art which has come to symbolize freedom,=20
individuality and independence of thought. We are not going back to=20
the past but hope to re-energize the spirit of Woodstock as the=20
millennium draws to a close."
Thirty years on from the first Woodstock festival in Bethel, Upstate=20
New York, WOODSTOCK '99 is set to repeat the magic and become a=20
legend for our generation just as it was for those in 1969 and 1994;=20
rekindling the Woodstock Experience and the unique community spirit=20
within Europe.
On-Site construction starts in March '99 as the new infrastructure=20
and festival amenities are put in place to accommodate the massive=20
influx of music fans from across Europe and further afield.