Today In Events: Woodstock 50 Is Officially Canceled, FIFA Increases Number of Teams For Next Women’s World Cup, Emmys Won’t Present Governors Award For First Time in 25 Years

Ian Zelaya
August 1, 2019

1. WOODSTOCK 50 IS OFFICIALLY CANCELED: Woodstock 50 has officially been canceled by organizers after they attempted to bring the event to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang said the decision was made to cancel the 50th anniversary event after it suffered a series of setbacks, including losing its financial backer, multiple venues, and high-profile headliners. Billboard: “Merriweather Post Pavilion had agreed to host Woodstock 50 if organizers could book acts to play, possibly as a free benefit concert to raise awareness and funding for get-out-the-vote nonprofit HeadCount and organizations that combat global warming. ‘While we were able to quickly eliminate the venue portion of the challenge to present Woodstock, it was just too late in the game,’ Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., and operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion, said in a statement. ‘Hopefully, with plenty of time to prepare, Merriweather will become the site of a future festival that captures the original vibe. A lot of people clearly wanted it to happen.’”

2. FIFA INCREASES NUMBER OF TEAMS FOR NEXT WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: FIFA has agreed to expand the number of teams from 24 to 32 for the Women’s World Cup in 2023. The organization also has reopened bidding to host the tournament. Associated Press: “Nine national associations had expressed interest in hosting and were due to submit their formal bids by October 4: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea, which could bid jointly with North Korea. Under the new timetable, any national association has until December to make a bid. FIFA expects a bid evaluation report next April and a decision the following month.” 

3. EMMYS WON’T PRESENT GOVERNORS AWARD FOR FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS: The Television Academy won’t present a Governors Award for the first time in 25 years at this year’s Primetime Emmys. The academy’s board of governors has the option to give out the award annually or skip, but since launching the award in 1978, the award has been presented every ceremony except in 1993 and 1994. Variety: “Last year, the Governors Award went to the Star Trek franchise, while in 2017 it was given to the Independent Television Service (I.T.V.S.), which funds and distributes documentaries for public broadcasters. … According to the TV Academy, the award won’t be handed out this year because the nominating committee opted not to recommend a recipient to the board of governors this year. It’s unclear, however, why no candidate reached the level of recommendation this year.”