Woodstock Korea 2023 will be held on July 28th
Woodstock Korea 2023 will be held on July 28th
Woodstock is an event known as the largest music festival in history. In 1969, it gained worldwide attention with an astonishing 400,000 attendees. Its official name is the "Woodstock Music & Art Fair," but it is commonly referred to as "Woodstock."
Woodstock took place from August 15th to 18th, 1969, at Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York. Despite rainfall, 32 performances were held outdoors.
The event was recorded as a significant milestone in popular music history. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as the 19th of "50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll." In 2017, the festival site was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Woodstock represented the cultural pinnacle of the late 1960s. The term "Woodstock Generation" has been widely used. Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz even named a recurring character in Peanuts "Woodstock," and Woodstock appeared in various poems and children's books. In August 2019, the U.S. Postal Service issued Forever stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock.
The Woodstock festival showcased the peak of the American counterculture and hippie movement under the slogan of "Peace, Love, and Music." Officially, the festival had an attendance of 400,000, but some estimates put it over 500,000.
Although the festival has been attempted to be recreated multiple times since then, none could capture the original Woodstock's charm, significance, and scale. A festival held at the same location in 1994 had better organization and financial success, but it couldn't match the original festival. The third festival held in 1999 was marred by small-scale riots, diminishing the spirit of peace, love, and music.
Now, the Woodstock festival, with its rich history and tradition, is being held in Korea between July 28th and 30th. S.G.C. Entertainment has signed a contract with Woodstock Ventures, the official license holder, and will host Woodstock Korea for three days.
The venue is a multipurpose square in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, near the Demilitarized Zone. The organizers have presented the following catchphrase:
"Three days of peace, love, and passion, where people from all over the world come together through music as a 'March for Peace' with a fervent desire for peace and unity, carrying the spirit of Woodstock Festival that never changes."
Woodstock Festival is already well-known among musicians and intellectuals in Korea. Korean musician Seo Taiji once said, "I want to create a performance while thinking about the absolute record and symbolism of Woodstock Festival, which left the biggest influence in history."
Lee, O-Young, one of the most intelligent persons in the modern Korean history wrote the following: "Were you at Woodstock? It wasn't merely a question of whether you attended it or not. It was like a secret code confirming one's identity as a flower person who protested the establishment or a Black Panther fighting for civil rights. They loved flowers instead of war, preferred jeans and guitars over success, and appreciated psychedelic art painted on bars or cars more than paintings in art museums."
Woodstock Korea will feature renowned musicians from both domestic and international scenes. The lineup is continually being updated.
[5th Lineup: 12 Teams]
Yoonmirae / Tiger JK / Yesung / Ryeowook / Just Jerk / 015B
Lee Solomon / leejean / SAAY / 1415 / Kozy&Noisy / Batu
[4th Lineup: 6 Teams]
Sunmi / Xdinary Heroes / The Bowls
Deadbuttons / ID:Earth / WabiKing
[3rd Lineup: 4 Teams]
Jeon In-kwon / Crying Nut / Kim Joon-hwi / Yumi
[2nd Lineup: 5 Teams]
Taeyang / Park Jung-hyun / Argonauta / Kim Seul-ong / Lim Yoon-sung
[1st Lineup: 27 Teams]
Loudness / Dynamic Duo / Insooni / Lee Eun-mi / An Chi-hwan
Boohwal / Kim Kyung-ho / Kim Wan-sun / Lyn
No Brain / Yuk Joong-wan Band / Lazybone / Craxxy Shot
Paloalto / Ali / The 5 / Love and Peace
Kim Do-kyun / Key Boys / Method / Travel Sketch
Woongsan Band / Kwak Dong-hyun / Jung Hong-il / H2O