7 Forgotten Music Festival Sites That Once Rocked the World
As the world of music festivals continues to expand, some sites have been forgotten or overlooked. These abandoned locations were once bustling with life and energy as thousands of people came together to celebrate music and community. However, with time, they have fallen into disrepair and become lost in the annals of history. Today we will take a look at some of these forgotten festival sites.
1) Altamont Speedway – California, USA
Altamont Speedway is famously known for The Rolling Stones concert that was held there on December 6th, 1969. The event was intended to be a “Woodstock West” but instead ended up being one of the most notorious concerts in rock history due to a violent incident that resulted in four deaths. Following this tragic event, the speedway fell out of use and was eventually abandoned.
2) Powder Ridge – Connecticut, USA
Powder Ridge Ski Resort opened in 1959 but it wasn’t until July 31st-August 3rd in 1970 when it hosted its first rock festival featuring famous artists such as Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker among others. Despite early success, the resort struggled financially after several setbacks including inclement weather during subsequent events leading to bankruptcy in 1977.
3) Bickershaw Festival – Wigan, UK
The Bickershaw Festival took place on May 4th-6th in 1972 attracting over forty-thousand people who enjoyed performances by bands such as Grateful Dead and The Kinks. Despite its initial success however, lackluster ticket sales for future planned events led organizers to pull the plug on any further festivals which ultimately led to landowners reclaiming their land
4) Middle East Peace Festival – Jordan/Israel
In April-May of 1995 an ambitious project aimed at promoting peace between Israel & Palestine kicked off with an international line-up featuring famous musicians from both sides. The event was meant to be held in Jordan, but due to political unrest and last-minute venue changes, it ended up being split between two sites: Eilat in Israel and Aqaba in Jordan. Despite its noble intentions however, the festival failed to make a lasting impact on the peace process.
5) Phun City – UK
Phun City took place from July 24th-26th in 1970 attracting over six-thousand people who enjoyed performances by bands such as Pink Floyd and Hawkwind among others. However, despite initial success, the festival organizers were unable to secure permission for future events which led to its eventual demise.
6) Strawberry Fields Festival – Canada
The Strawberry Fields Festival took place from August 7th-9th in 1970 attracting over thirty-thousand people who enjoyed performances by artists such as Joan Baez and Arlo Guthrie among others. Despite this early success however, subsequent attempts at hosting similar events failed leading to the site’s abandonment.
7) Ozark Music Festival – Missouri, USA
The Ozark Music Festival took place on July 19th-21st in 1974 attracting an estimated crowd of over two-hundred thousand people enjoying performances by acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Aerosmith among others While considered a huge success at the time with good vibes reported throughout most of it; reports of drug use/overdoses along with unruly behavior led authorities to shut down any future festivals using that location forcing its closure.
In conclusion, these forgotten music festival sites serve as reminders of past cultural moments that have shaped our history. Although abandoned now they once hosted some of the biggest names in music and brought together thousands if not millions of fans all sharing experiences regardless their backgrounds or beliefs; creating memories that would last them forever. Today we can only imagine what those moments must have been like but perhaps someday there will be a revival to bring these locations back to life.