Legendary Woodstock Photos That Will Go Down In History

Nearly half a million people flocked to Bethel, New. York’s undulating meadows to celebrate love, peace, friendship, life, and music (among other things) during the Woodstock event of 1969.

Tie-dye was all the style in those days, even if it now seems trite. A few enterprising hippies offer their handicrafts to festival guests here. Because no official festival goods were available, these — and styles on the following slide — would have to suffice.

At today’s major music festivals, such as Coachella and Bonnaroo, guests are frequently just as concerned with what they’re going to wear as they are with the acts they’re going to watch. However, festival classics like the floral crown, which dates back to Woodstock, will never go out of style as long as there are festivals to attend.

Woodstock is well-known for not charging any fees for admittance. But that wasn’t intended to happen. When it became evident that the grounds were popular with young people, the event organizers had to relinquish any hope of making any money.

Woodstock was as unforgettable for the musicians that performed there as it was for the audience. Jefferson Airplane members are pictured here, with singer Grace Slick in the center, dressed in white. Over the three days, 33 performers performed, including many other stars.

People nationally attended the music festival in upstate New York. Nobody could have predicted that it would become one of the most iconic concert series in history. And let’s be honest, you wouldn’t want to miss a concert with 33 of your favorite artists, would you? This event was going to be one of the biggest concerts yet.

The hippie subculture is known for its music as much as it is for its drug use. Substances went hand in hand with the theme. Hippies would party hard. During the festival, it can be estimated that over half of the attendees consumed “Mary Jane”, although no one got arrested.

Only a fraction of the 33 artists who performed at the event got to be in the footage that later turned into the Woodstock documentary, which is how most people are familiar with the concert today.

For the whole length of the event, music was played continuously, both day and night, ensuring that there was never a boring moment at Woodstock. Nevertheless, behind closed doors, the organizers came perilously close to putting an immediate stop to all activities.

One of the 600-acre dairy farms on which the Woodstock festival was held belonged to Max Yasgur, the event’s host. It was on this land that the people came to party. The fact that he did not need much convincing to agree to rent the property may have been influenced by the spirit of the occasion.

Original estimates put the overall cost of the event at $750,000 by the three significant organizers, John Roberts, Michael Lang, and Joel Rosenman, who were responsible for putting the event together. In the end, they spent over $2.5 million throughout the festival weekend while only earning approximately $1.5 million in revenue.

A renowned former LIFE magazine photographer known as John Dominis, reminisced about Woodstock years later indicating that he had a good time throughout the event.

It is no small feat to feed 400,000 people for three days straight. It seemed like supplies were always in short quantities, lines were always lengthy, and the audience was always ravenous. Such strain would be too much for anybody with a weak heart.

According to the Washington Post, the festival’s people who came up with the Woodstock idea were just businessmen who wanted to put on a concert to showcase their upcoming recording facility while also raising money for it. They, however, made some rookie mistakes, and some were just sheer bad luck.

“By attending the event, we can turn the adversities that are currently facing America into a source of hope for a stronger and more peaceful future,” said Max Yasgur, a farmer who owned the acres of land on which the event was held. He attended together with his wife.

Several years ago (2008), the Washington Post said that, nowadays, “no health department, nor any Woodstock-generation parents or grandparents, would permit a festival where children eat chopped veggies from garbage cans.”

It was almost impossible to complete the enormous job of feeding 400,000 hungry hippies in a short period of time. In the first place, no one had expected the festival’s magnitude to be as big as it turned out to be.

If you didn’t stay in your blanket or tent, you’d have to trek for several kilometers to find the things you needed. And, in the absence of aisles, seating patterns, and cellphones, it would have been nearly impossible to find your way back to where you were initially situated. You would probably lose all your belongings.

In addition to limited food, there were far too few restrooms for the amount of people that attended the event, and it rained on the festival grounds for several days straight. At times, distinguishing between muck and, well, you know, was a tough job to do.

Everything was in short supply since the event organizers were unprepared for how many people would show up for Woodstock. The numbers that turned up were well over the anticipated crowds, which was good news, of course, but caught the event organizers off guard.

After only five days, the amount of traffic outside Bethel began to increase significantly. Thousands of automobiles rested along a 20-mile stretch of road leading from Max Yasgur’s farm. Local inhabitants were stranded, and a large number of performers had to be exited by helicopter.

The festival’s mood was decidedly against the conflict happening in Vietnam, as many Americans began to see the altercation as needless and far too long-lasting. Ironically, though, the U.S. Army airlifted in food, medics, and even festival performers.

John Lennon consented to participate in Woodstock, but the United States government denied him admission into the country with a visa from Canada.

When Jimi Hendrix performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the New York Post declared it the “single finest moment of the 1960s.” Most of the festival’s guests missed it, as he entered the stage at 9 a.m. on Monday, by which time most of them had already packed up and headed home.

Because their festival was brand new, the event’s organizers had to pay seriously high sums to secure their main acts. Jimi Hendrix was given $18,000, and members of Jefferson Airplane received $12,000, which was double their usual fee.

When looking at this picture taken from the rear of the stage, it becomes more apparent exactly how many people were in attendance at Woodstock. There were a multitude!

People attempted to attend the festival in more significant numbers than those who actually attended. For example, as you can see in this photograph, traffic was so severe that many attendees chose to abandon their cars miles away and walk to the festival grounds.

The documentary film made at the Woodstock music festival is considered one of the best “rockumentaries” of all time by fans and critics alike.

If you arrived at Woodstock by a small automobile, you might have found yourself out of luck when it came to getting a seat at the festival. The persons who had the most nuanced view of the stage were the ones who were able to scale the roof of their van to the highest point.

The Woodstock program was filled with major stars, as everyone knows. But that didn’t deter anyone with a guitar from attempting to put on their own show for the audience.

It may sound cheesy, but in the upstate New York village where the Woodstock concert took place, Happy Avenue is a road. It seems fitting for a festival dedicated to peace and love, doesn’t it? Of course, individuals may not have been pleased with the traffic en route to the festival on this particular day.

There were at least a few individuals at Woodstock who attempted to dispel the image of the filthy hippie, which we are all familiar with. After all, when you spend the whole weekend wandering about barefoot, it is inevitable that your feet will get a bit filthy. Fortunately, there was a water pump nearby, which enabled some concertgoers to keep their feet nice and clean throughout the event.

Okay, so these folks may or may not have been doing yoga, but from the photograph, it certainly seems like they were, don’t you think? It’s more probable that these two were doing some kind of interpretative dance while listening to one of the musical performances that were playing around the festival grounds at the same time.

This picture is usually the image that comes to mind when you think about Woodstock. That woman doesn’t have a cigarette from the corner store in her hand.

This image may be the best representation of the festival as a whole. There are people as far as the horizon, and the woman in the front is perched on someone’s shoulders, completely enthralled by the concert going on all around her.

We don’t hear often about the food eaten at Woodstock, but this photo proves that dedicated area did exist. It’s unclear what they’re eating, but there appears to be a food stand set up with concertgoers waiting with paper plates to grab some grub.

We know that it rained at some time at Woodstock and that some people opted to welcome it while others tried to avoid it. A few people have put a plastic sheet over themselves to protect themselves from the rain.

The presence of a fence at Woodstock is unusual, but this guy appears unconcerned about being on the wrong side of it. He nearly looks like he’s about to break down some fence panels. But perhaps he’s just thrilled to be close enough to the main event.

In 1970, the four-hour documentary, Woodstock, was nominated for an Academy Award. Since then, it has been released several more times, each time with new bonuses and footage. A 26-year-old Martin Scorsese served as an assistant director on the original picture, which was his first film credit. He’s giving a peace sign in this photo, which you can see below.

The sound system at Woodstock Music Festival was meant to deliver the guitar solos, bass lines, and screaming vocals to an enthusiastic crowd of 200,000. However, the sound system ended up having to reach nearly double that number.

Woodstock Music Festival took place over the course of three days. Although some probably stayed awake to experience the entire event, most people chose to rejuvenate themselves with naps whenever they could.

Part of the fun of Woodstock was bringing in all you needed. Sure, people packed into cars to make it to the party, but the total number of people meant that cars could only go so far.

It’s well known that hundreds of thousands of people attended Woodstock in 1969. What’s less well-known is that at least one monkey was at the historic event too. Just take a look at the photo below!

British rockers The Who were meant to take the stage on Saturday night. Like most things at Woodstock, the plans didn’t go according to plan. So, instead of Saturday night, they took the stage on Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m.

The sitarist Ravi Shankar had a huge influence on The Beatles and, by extension, all of the counterculture. That’s why he was invited to play at Woodstock. Shankar took to the stage alongside Alla Rakha and Maya Kulkarni. For 45 minutes, they graced the crowd with their music. It was well received.

Back in the days of Woodstock, Santana was a relatively obscure band. They were known by some who were into the jam band scene of San Francisco, but outside of that, their name led to blank stares.

The folk singer Joan Baez was an integral part of the 1960s counterculture – which is why she was immediately booked for Woodstock. In fact, Baez has the unique distinction of being able to play on the first day of the festival.

When Crosby, Stills, & Nash landed the opportunity to play an hour set at Woodstock, they were a bit nervous. Why? Well, in the words of singer and guitarist Stephen Stills, it was “the second time we’ve ever played in front of people.”

Exact numbers are hard (or, more accurately, impossible) to come by, but estimates put the total number of people at the Woodstock Festival between 300,000 and 500,000. That’s quite the number for a relatively small farm in New York.

Even though there was a small city of people running around and dancing at all hours of the day and night, there was surprisingly little reported incidents. It would be naive to assume nothing went wrong, but when compared to other gatherings of 500,000 people, Woodstock was pretty peaceful.

The image of Woodstock in the public imagination is that of constant music and bustling activity. However, the picture below shows that it was possible to find a quiet little corner to catch your breath – near bales of hay nonetheless!

When a half a million people gather for a concert, the government takes notice – especially when a majority of that half million were actively opposing that government. To try and stem any potential chaos, nearby towns tried to shut down the music.

Rainy weather and mud might be a dealbreaker for some, but the hardy hippies at Woodstock didn’t bat an eyelid. When the clouds came rolling in and the rain came drizzling down, the concert-goers ended up playing in the mud rather than running for cover.

Woodstock was meant to be put on near Middletown, New York. However, when residents learned of what was to happen, they quickly voted against the idea. So, the organizers were at a standstill until Max Yasgur stepped in.

At 3:30 in the morning, the funk pioneers Sly and the Family Stone took to the stage. The crowd was hyped up and ready to dance. Their set is generally regarded as one of the best sets of the entire three day event!

Woodstock was full of single folks, but there were also plenty of couples who left cute pictures for posterity. (Just have a look below!) Many of them built teepees and other shelters to sleep in during the three day festival.

The singer Joe Cocker was paid less than other performers at Woodstock, but that doesn’t mean he performed with less talent or heart. In fact, many remember his rendition of “With a Little Help from My Friends” as one of the best covers ever.

British rockers The Incredible String Band were meant to perform on the first day of Woodstock, shortly after Ravi Shankar’s appearance. However, the rain made them reconsider and they demanded to perform on the second day.

Exiting the festival was no easier than entering. Many had to hitchhike or walk out of the venue into the crowded stretches of roads, while others carpooled back to society and normal life.

Due to the roads being unusable and the crowds being so thick, medicine had to be flown in via helicopter and then transported on foot.

Janis Joplin was one of the main performers at Woodstock as well as one of the most anticipated performances. As a result, Joplin was completely overwhelmed by the size and scope of the audience there to see her perform.

This photo offers a unique and awesome view of the crowds at Woodstock. It was such an exciting event that brought in so many people and really became emblematic of the hippie movement.

Go to any modern-day festival and you’ll see an abundance of mass-produced flower crowns atop the heads of many gatherers. It is no coincidence! The free-flowing style of Woodstock directly translates to today’s more commercialized festivals.

Before the era of social media, promotional posters were used to spread the word about the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in Bethel, New York.

Singer Grace Slick put on an epic performance with American rock group Jefferson Airplane. Jefferson Airplane was based in San Francisco, California, and is considered one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock.

Although the fashion has become iconic since the debut of Woodstock, epitomizing “hippy culture,” there were some who opted to ditch their clothing on the festival grounds.

Today, festivals have a plethora of carts to choose from to get some food, a beverage, or take home a souvenir. However, at the original Woodstock, the festival was a free for all and many arrived with dollar signs in their eyes at the thought of so many people gathered in one place.

A hippie dad immortalized his daughter as part of one of the most iconic music festivals in the world. You can see he came prepared with a bottle of milk for her to enjoy while he took in the music and sights.

Some concert-goers slept in tents but quite a few constructed their own teepees. As we saw from the picture of the Woodstock couple previously, these teepees could be quite stylish. The one shown below is a recreation meant to get at the feeling of what it was like back in 1969.

Woodstock was a place of peace, love, and acceptance. Some people even brought their kids. As many people as there were at the festival, people felt comfortable to bring their kids.

Woodstock 99’ was the second largest musical celebration (after Woodstock 94’) that tried to recreate the magic of the original festival of Woodstock in 1969.

From July 22 to July 25, 1999, people traveled to the desolate area of Rome for 72 hours of music, art, and “love,” though the way it turned out would prove that the 1969 Woodstock could never be recreated.

The 1999 festival had a pretty 90’s fabulous lineup. There were the likes of Jewel, DMX, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, The Offspring, Metallica, Dave Matthews Band…

Not all performances went so swimmingly, of course. The crowd took a personal dislike for performer Kid Rock.

During their performance, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit told the crowd that there were “no rules” during their lively performance of their song “Break Stuff.”

It was also no easy feat to feed, hydrate, or do anything else that required money unless you came with a nice bundle prior.

On top of the difficult time accessing the funds to stay healthy, it also cost a pretty penny to get your hands on some water.

Not only was hydrating oneself difficult, but feeding oneself was another story entirely. A slice of pizza (you know, dough, cheese, and tomato sauce?) cost $12.

Because water was so expensive, people began to get dehydrated and thus resourceful. The crowds began breaking the water fountains leading to a massive mud puddle.

It is not hard to piece together what consumption of certain substances and adult beverages will result in when combined with a lack of food and water.

To best imitate the Woodstock of 1969, some chose to shed their social shackles and roam upstate New York in their birthday suit.

Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage in his birthday suit and gave a full frontal performance that festival attendees likely will not soon forget.

After the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, “Peace Candles” were given to the crowd. The name of these would quickly become tinged in irony.

People began using their “peace candles” to light the venue on fire. What could go wrong giving a large crowd of intoxicated festival patrons access to flames?

While some chose to light things on fire with their free candles, other chose to treat the venue like a giant playground.

According to MTV, “Some in the crowd feared for their lives. Andrew Kimbler called his family from a pay phone, explaining that he wanted them to know what had happened, ‘in case I don’t make it out.’”

The flames became an incredibly real danger to human life and property. The blaze ripped through and spread through to the trailers that held important things.

Thousands and thousands of dollars were wrongfully taken in merchandise, food, water, and whatever people could get their hands on.

By the end of the festival, the scene of the concert looked more like the scene of an apocalyptic film. There was garbage dispersed everywhere and people wandering around aimlessly in the wreckage.

We think it’s safe to say that the attempt at recreating one of (if not the) most iconic music and arts gatherings that the United States has ever seen did not go great.