August 9 – 16, 2026
Join us for a week of special programming honoring the 57th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair and celebrating 20 years of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
Rooted in the historic site where three days of peace and music brought half a million people together, Bethel Woods carries that spirit forward every day. Our nonprofit mission is to build upon our rich history by providing extraordinary experiences and access to the arts. Over two decades, we've grown from a historic site, to a concert venue, to a world-class arts, education, and cultural campus, home to the award-winning Museum at Bethel Woods and steward of the 1,000 acres of land where history was made.
During Anniversary Week, we honor the people, the music, and the moment that changed a generation. Join us as we celebrate the past, embrace the present, and look toward the next chapter, guided by our belief in the power of peace and music to change the world.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour with Ken Bray
Sunday, August 9, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ticketed, Space Limited
Join us for a special Historic Site Golf Cart Tour with Ken Bray, Woodstock 1969 silversmith as he talks about being a jewelry vendor at the original festival, right in the spots where the stories took place.
SYMPOSIUM
Ken Bray 1969 Silversmith
Sunday, August 9, 2026 — 3:00 PM | Free (RSVP)
The Museum at Bethel Woods Special Exhibit
Ken Bray is an original Woodstock vendor – his iconic, symbolic silver jewelry was sold at the festival in 1969. Join Ken as he presents his journey as an artist and his Woodstock story in the Special Exhibit: How Bazaar!.
FILM SCREENING
You Can’t Refuse, by David Shelburne
Monday, August 10, 2026 — 11:00 AM | Free
The Museum at Bethel Woods Special Exhibit
David Shelburne was a film major at The Ohio State University when he attended Woodstock. You Can’t Refuse was his thesis project and tells you everything you need to know about the thoughts and life perspectives of the college-age counterculture, and is also an homage to films and books such as The Magic Trip and Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. The experience of hanging out at the Woodstock Free Stage with the painted school buses influenced David and his wife Ellen’s lives and led to the buses being main characters in the film.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour + with Ellen Shelburne
Monday, August 10, 2026 — 12:30 PM | $30.00
Golf Cart Tour, ticketed, limited space
Ellen Shelburne’s photos are showcased on the walls of the Special Exhibit: How Bazaar: Arts, Crafts & Camping at Woodstock. Join Ellen as we drive through the historic site and see where she shot these photos during the festival.
SYMPOSUM
Woodstock Ventures as a Business Model
Monday, August 10, 2026 — 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Free
The Event Gallery
Join the Museum guests and staff for this day-long investigation into who made Woodstock work and who managed the project to build the third largest city in New York in just four weeks. Attend one part, or all three.
PART ONE
2:00 PM | Diagramming What Worked: The Organizational Chart of Uncharted Territory
Ted Klein, Boston University, moderator. A crowd-sourced round table of names and managerial relationships to connect the people who made Woodstock tick.
PART TWO
3:30 PM | Identifying the People That Made It Work: An Organizational Chart in Pictures
Rona Elliot, Woodstock Ventures Alumnae, moderator. A crowd-sourced photo session to put faces to the names in Woodstock pictures.
PART THREE
6:00 PM | How Do You Invent an Event That Has Never Been Done Before?
Ted Klein, Boston University, moderator. A conversation with Joel Rosenman around the organizational chart of uncharted territory.
FILM SCREENING
You Can’t Refuse, by David Shelburne
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 — 11:00 AM | Free
The Museum at Bethel Woods Special Exhibit
David Shelburne was a film major at The Ohio State University when he attended Woodstock. You Can’t Refuse was his thesis project and tells you everything you need to know about the thoughts and life perspectives of the college-age counterculture, and is also an homage to films and books such as The Magic Trip and Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. The experience of hanging out at the Woodstock Free Stage with the painted school buses influenced David and his wife Ellen’s lives and led to the buses being main characters in the film.
SYMPOSIUM
East Meets West: Bob Gruen & Henry Diltz, Two of America’s Great Rock Photographers
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 — 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Free (RSVP)
The Event Gallery
Bob Gruen and Henry Diltz with Rona Elliot, moderator
For the first time ever, legendary rock photographers Henry Diltz and Bob Gruen will present on the same stage. Both were at Woodstock and embedded within the iconic music culture of the 1960s, and both had had amazing careers as photographers. One on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour — Docent Led Golf Cart Tour
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ticketed, Space Limited
Hop on a golf cart and travel back to 1969 where you’ll learn all about what was going on at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Want to see the magical field where 450,000 people sat and jammed out? How about a trip through the Bindy Bazaar, where the intended main gate was located. Learn about lesser known locations of the festival, like the Free Kitchen, the Art Fence and The Playground. Throughout the tour, you’ll see never before seen photos of Woodstock, and stand in the exact location they’ve been taken.
GOLF CART TOUR
Behind the Scenes Tour — Docent Led Golf Cart Tour
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ticketed, Space Limited
It’s the 20th Anniversary of Bethel Woods! Take our Behind the Scenes Tour and get an insider’s view of what it takes to produce a show. Beginning with the story of how Bethel Woods came to be and our mission to carry forward the legacy of the 1969 Woodstock festival. You’ll travel by golf cart with an expert guide as you explore the Pavilion and historic grounds. Enjoy the rare opportunity to step onto the Pavilion stage where music legends have performed and possibly get a glimpse at the artists’ dressing rooms.
LIVE MUSIC
Horizon Happy Hour
Space Carnival
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — 5:00 PM | Free
The Market Sheds
Join us for live music with Space Carnival in the Market Sheds overlooking the historic festival field. Food and beverages available for purchase at special happy hour prices.
If Phish and XTC had a baby who was given a Moog synthesizer for its 5th birthday and then moved to Albany and started a band, that band would be called Space Carnival. A mix of danceable grooves and guitar forward jams all underpinned by an organ and synth structured foundation. Back together after a five-year hiatus, Space Carnival has returned with a fresh dose of their driven jam funk sound.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour — Docent Led Golf Cart Tour
Thursday, August 13, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ticketed, Space Limited
Hop on a golf cart and travel back to 1969 where you’ll learn all about what was going on at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Want to see the magical field where 450,000 people sat and jammed out? How about a trip through the Bindy Bazaar, where the intended main gate was located. Learn about lesser known locations of the festival, like the Free Kitchen, the Art Fence and The Playground. Throughout the tour, you’ll see never before seen photos of Woodstock, and stand in the exact location they’ve been taken.
The Historic Site + Tour
Friday, August 14, 2026 - 10:45 AM
Ticketed | Space Limited
The Historic Site + Tour includes all the limited-access locations featured in the Historic Site tour, along with exclusive insights and behind-the-scenes stories on a Pavilion concert day. Explore the historic grounds, be among the first to hear about new Woodstock discoveries emerging from ongoing research, and gain a broader understanding of Bethel Woods, from its past to its present-day operations.
LIVE MUSIC
Thomas Rhett
with special guests Kashus Culpepper and Emily Ann Roberts
Friday, August 14, 2026 — 7:30 PM
Pavilion Concert
One of the most engaging and consistent country chart-toppers of the last 10 years, Thomas Rhett has emerged as a superstar with as much songwriting prowess as stadium-rocking charisma. The hitmaker just dropped a danceable dose of cutting-edge Country with his new album About A Woman. His six previous studio albums, defined by equal parts energy and emotion, have helped drive more than 16 billion global streams and armfuls of awards – eight ACM Awards including 2020 Entertainer of the Year, two CMA Awards, five GRAMMY® Awards nominations, plus trophies from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Awards and iHeartRadio Awards, in addition to being recognized with five CMA Triple Play awards for penning three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period.
LIVE MUSIC
Turnpike Troubadours
with special guests Muscadine Bloodline & The Creekers
Saturday, August 15, 2026 — 7:00 PM
Pavilion Concert
Pioneers of the Red Dirt music scene and one of America's most beloved bands, Turnpike Troubadours has amassed a massive following throughout their renowned career with more than 2.2 billion streams globally and over 1.7 million equivalent units sold. Since their debut in 2005, the band has released seven studio albums, performed countless sold-out headline shows, appeared in Paramount's hit show Yellowstone, and were inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. Most recently, Turnpike Troubadours added to their historic career with the release of their new surprise album, The Price of Admission, which debuted at #1 on the iTunes all-genre and country charts and earned them their highest Spotify chart debuts to date.
The Historic Site + Tour
Sunday, August 16, 2026 - 10:45 AM
Ticketed | Space Limited
The Historic Site + Tour includes all the limited-access locations featured in the Historic Site tour, along with exclusive insights and behind-the-scenes stories on a Pavilion concert day. Explore the historic grounds, be among the first to hear about new Woodstock discoveries emerging from ongoing research, and gain a broader understanding of Bethel Woods, from its past to its present-day operations.
LIVE MUSIC
Brandi Carlile
with special guests Jensen McRae
Sunday, August 16, 2026 — 7:00 PM
Pavilion Concert
Brandi Carlile is an Oscar-nominated and 11x GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, performer, and producer; 2x EMMY Award-winning composer, lyricist, and writer; #1 New York Times Bestselling author, and activist, who is known as one of music’s most respected voices.