Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang says the wait is almost over regarding performers for Woodstock 50, despite media reports claiming Jay-Z, Black Keys and others will perform at the event in August.
"We are thrilled with all the excitement about Woodstock 50, but we have an obligation to our fans, artists and partners to do things the right way," Lang said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday. "We are in the final stages of laying the groundwork and can't wait to stage this once-in-a-lifetime event. We'll be officially announcing the lineup and ticket on-sale soon, stay tuned!"
The original Woodstock concert took place in 1969. On Thursday Variety reported that Jay-Z, Black Keys, Dead & Company, Chance the Rapper, Imagine Dragons, the Killers, Gary Clark Jr. and others will perform at Woodstock 50. The event is separate from an anniversary concert planned at the site of the original festival in 1969.
In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press when asked if Imagine Dragons would perform at Woodstock 50, bandleader Dan Reynolds said: "I don't think that's been announced yet, but I can tell you that we have been in talks with them."
More than 80 artists are expected to perform at Woodstock 50, which will take place Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northwest of the original site. Artists will perform on three main stages at Watkins Glen International racetrack in the Finger Lakes.
The original concert was held on a farm in Bethel, New York that is now run as an attraction by The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The venue plans its own anniversary event Aug. 16-18.
More than 400,000 people attended the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, which was held Aug. 15-17, 1969.
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is “inclined” to keep ExxonMobil out of Venezuela after its top executive was skeptical about oil investment efforts in the country after the toppling of former President Nicolás Maduro.
“I didn’t like Exxon’s response,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One as he departed West Palm Beach, Florida. “They’re playing too cute.”
During a meeting Friday with oil executives, Trump tried to assuage the concerns of the companies and said they would be dealing directly with the U.S., rather than the Venezuelan government.
Some, however, weren’t convinced.
“If we look at the commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela, today it’s uninvestable,” said Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, the largest U.S. oil company.
An ExxonMobil spokesperson did not immediately respond Sunday to a request for comment.
Also on Friday, Trump signed an executive order that seeks to ensure that Venezuelan oil revenue remains protected from being used in judicial proceedings.
The executive order, made public on Saturday, says that if the funds were to be seized for such use, it could “undermine critical U.S. efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela.” Venezuela has a history of state asset seizures, ongoing U.S. sanctions and decades of political uncertainty.
Getting U.S. oil companies to invest in Venezuela and help rebuild the country’s infrastructure is a top priority of the Trump administration after Maduro's capture.
The White House is framing the effort to “run” Venezuela in economic terms, and Trump has seized tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, has said the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan crude, and plans to control sales worldwide indefinitely.
Kim reported from West Palm Beach, Florida.
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
