The legendary Woodstock Festival is on its way to South Korea

Marking its first edition outside the United States, Woodstock Festival has announced it will be heading to Pocheon, South Korea this year. SGC Entertainment has signed an official copyright agreement with the Woodstock Music and Art Fair to stage the three-day festival under the theme of “freedom, peace, and love”.

Photo: Scene from the documentary film ‘Woodstock’ (1970)

A Quick History on Woodstock

Woodstock music festival was first held 54 years ago in 1969 on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States. Also called the Woodstock Rock Festival, it attracted over 400,000 people and was one of the largest music festivals held in history. Because it was a pivotal moment in popular music history, the event was reflected by a 1970 documentary film. In 2017, the festival site became listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The festival is set for July 28th to 30th at the Hantangang River Geopark complex, in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province in memory of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement. According to Korea Herald, there was originally an attempt to host the festival in Korea in 2010, however, it did not go through due to copyright and artist lineup issues.

Photo: David Brown and Carlos Santana / Scene from the documentary film ‘Woodstock’ (1970)

Although a lineup for the upcoming event has not yet been revealed, what we surely know is the festival will include at least 30 performances. More details are expected to be announced soon.

The original Woodstock was a groundbreaking event amidst a period of political unrest and social freedoms. Woodstock doesn’t just represent a music festival, it’s become a global standard bearer for unity and peace. Bringing Woodstock into the 2020s and out of the US signals the next step in the cultural icon’s international impact.