John Fogerty has pulled out of Woodstock 50 just weeks before the troubled anniversary event is supposed to take place.
A representative for the singer told The Associated Press that Fogerty, who performed at the original 1969 festival with Creedence Clearwater Revival, will now perform only at Woodstock’s original site in Bethel, New York, in a smaller anniversary event not connected to Woodstock 50.
Fogerty had appeared in March alongside the original festival’s co-founder, Michael Lang, to announce that Jay-Z, Dead & Company and the Killers would perform at Woodstock 50, set for Aug. 16-18.
But Woodstock 50 has faced a series of setbacks, including permit denials and the loss of a financial partner and a production company. The event, at which Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons, Chance the Rapper and the Black Keys are slated to perform, does not have a venue and tickets have yet to go on sale.
The festivities were supposed to take place across three main stages at Watkins Glen International racetrack in Watkins Glen, New York, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northwest of the original site, but the venue pulled out.
Bloomberg reported Thursday that the event will now take place at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater in Columbia, Maryland. A representative for Woodstock 50 told The Associated Press she couldn’t confirm the report and said the organizers had no further comment.
Fogerty, 74, will instead perform at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which is holding its event during the same three-day weekend. Fogerty will close out the celebration on Aug. 18, while Ringo Starr will perform on Aug. 16 and Santana — also booked for the larger anniversary event — will hit the stage on Aug. 17.
Other performers scheduled for the troubled Woodstock 50 include Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters, David Crosby, Janelle Monae, Brandi Carlile, Country Joe McDonald, Halsey, the Lumineers and Common.
