Officially named Woodstock Music & Art Fair, the festival took place in August 1969, between the 15th and 18th. The stage was set up on the farm of Max Yasgur, localized near the countryside of the city of Bethel, in New York, United States.
It is estimated that half a million people attended the concerts of the 32 artists who played at the event.
see more
Scientists use technology to unlock secrets in ancient Egyptian art…
Archaeologists discover stunning Bronze Age tombs in…
The festival made history as a landmark of the hippie movement from the Counterculture, between the end of 60's and beginning of the 70's.
Woodstock and the Counterculture
the movement of counterculture emerged as a form of expression for the youth of the time, dissatisfied with the climate of rivalry generated by the Cold War. In the future, another target of the movement would be the costly Vietnam War.
The movement opposed the style American way of life (American way of life) that emerged shortly after the end of
Second World War. At that time, there was an unbridled technological development in the United States that preached excessive consumerism.Known as the “age of home appliances”, this period of North American growth was aimed above all at moving the industrial sector and fomenting capitalism around the world.
Thus, it was through the aggressive music of rock n' roll and the excessive consumption of drugs that supporters of the movement wanted to make themselves heard. LSD and mescaline were the most consumed narcotics.
In addition, other issues disseminated by traditional American society at the time, such as the prohibition of sex before marriage, the so-called “touches of collect from the universities” and the constant surveillance between the male and female buildings made the movement gain supporters and more and more strength.
woodstock festival
O woodstock symbolizes the apogee of the era of wontraculture. The idea came from the creative mind of four young people, namely:John P. Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld.
The group's argument was to offer the public a three-day festival, aimed mainly at the hippie community, which was adept at the precepts of sexual freedom and free love.
The libertarian climate gave rise to the expression "Peace and love”, a symbol of the hippie culture, since during the days of the festival young people took a rain shower completely naked, rolled in the mud, meditated, used drugs and had sex in tents.
Some of the most well-known artists who played at the festival were: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Incredible String Band and Sweetwater.
Woodstock Festival Facts
- Initially, 186,000 tickets were made. However, given the number of people who started to arrive, the festival had to be released to the general public mainly due to the invasions.
- Some artists refused to be part of the event, such as The Beatles, The Doors and Led Zeppelin.
- Despite the “excessive freedom”, only three deaths were confirmed during the entire festival: one from a heroin overdose, a ruptured appendix and another from being run over.
- As it was not prepared to receive such a large number of people, issues such as the lack of first aid, public toilets, sanitation, bad weather and lack of food caused discomfort to those present.
- Initial tickets were sold at US$18 for one day and US$24 for the three days of the festival.
- Considering the success of the 1969 festival, other editions were held, but they did not have the same great impact as the first edition.
Photos from the Woodstock Festival
Check out some records from the 1969 festival below:
See too: hippie movement
