On which date did the 1969 Woodstock festival begin?

The 1969 Woodstock festival began on August 15, 1969, at Max Yasgur’s farm near Bethel, New York.

The event was advertised as the Woodstock Music and Art Fair and was scheduled for August 15–17. Severe crowding and delays extended performances into Monday morning, August 18, when Jimi Hendrix finished the festival’s music.

Woodstock opened with Richie Havens after traffic prevented several performers from reaching the stage on time. Although commonly described as a three-day festival, its performances actually stretched across four calendar days. The phrase “three days of peace and music” came from the event’s promotional identity, not a precise count of calendar dates.

The festival attracted an estimated 400,000 people and became a defining event of the 1960s counterculture. Its documentary film and soundtrack helped preserve performances by artists including Joan Baez, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.