What was the official full name of the 1969 Woodstock festival?

The official full name of the 1969 Woodstock festival was the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. It was also promoted as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music,” which is why both phrases appear in historical material.

The event was organized by Woodstock Ventures, a group that included Michael Lang, Artie Kornfeld, John Roberts, and Joel Rosenman. Although the festival became known simply as Woodstock, its formal title reflected the organizers’ plan for a combined music and arts gathering.

The name can be confusing because the festival was not held in Woodstock, New York. After proposed sites in Woodstock, Saugerties, and Wallkill fell through, the concert moved to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel. The established promotional name was retained even after the location changed.

The Bethel event ran from August 15 through August 18, 1969, and featured performers including Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.