Phish to host Festival in Watkins Glen July 4th Weekend

Posted by on Saturday, January 29, 2011 · 19 Comments 


Watkins Glen International Raceway, NY

Ever since the Indy races were cancelled at Watkins Glen International for the 4th of July weekend rumors have been flying that Phish is looking to book a festival at the race track in upstate NY.

After a relatively low turnout at Festival 8 on the west coast in 2009 Phish is looking to bring the fest back to the northeast in 2011.

Sources close to the situation in Watkins Glen have reported to us that a contract has been signed for a Phish only festival July 4th weekend at Watkins Glen International.

We’re told tickets will be $200 and include camping for the entire weekend and will be capped at 60,000. There will be 8 sets total happening on Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Camping will be allowed starting on Thursday. Re-entry will be allowed to racetrack throughout the weekend. This will be a Phish festival with no other bands. Our source tells us we can expect an official announcement sometime in March.

If you would like to read more about this story you can read our interview with ScottyB over at Hidden Track.

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What intrigues me the most about this festival is the venue and historically what this means for Phish. The Watkins Glen race track hasn’t seen a music festival of this magnitude since it hosted Summer Jam in 1973 with The Band, The Allman Brothers, & The Grateful Dead. That event drew over 600,000 fans and shut down roadways for miles.

My home town is in Corning, NY just 15 miles south of Watkins Glen. My father grew up in the area in the late 60′s & early 70′s attended both Woodstock & Summer Jam. I’m excited by the thought of being able to return to the concert fields where my parents, aunts & uncles and jammed out over 35 years ago.

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  • http://twitter.com/phortin Aaron Fortin

    Will be interesting to see if it’s really four days or three days. One of the days could be in the fine print but it’s just the arrival day with Soundcheck later in the evening like Indio was. If not, Phish’s 1st ever four day festival? That would certainly make headlines I’d think. July 2nd and 3rd would seem more logical but the price tag of 190-240 seems like a 3rd day is indeed in there somewhere…

  • Anonymous

    More than likely, its being shown as 4 day b/c 2 days of music, 1 day at each end to get in and out of the venue. Four days (or even 3 days) of music is unlikely… I’ve seen a tentative tour schedule, and its MASSIVE- 30 plus shows w/o a split in the tour. Starting (again, nothing is signed) May 20-ish, ending at WG…

  • http://twitter.com/RichmondImage James Young

    I call Nanners on this, Honestly gonna have a July 4th festival that ends on July 3rd, lets think about it, that monday is a national holiday, I’m sure a contract has been signed (just like we all heard almost 2 weeks ago) but to say that these “close sources” are really gonna put their necks on the line that everyone is just gonna up and walk out on independence day, PLEASE, hey and you know what I bet they play Physical Graffiti too

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_H5ZPE3HWLJ5V7BSDKAWGR7RVMU Aaron

    Has to be at least 3 days of music if it’s 8 sets. Just like Fest 8 I bet….load in on Thursday…music, Fri, Sat, Sun…with two of those days being 3 set shows.

  • http://twitter.com/esthergrl Caroline
  • http://stergion.com Pete716

    We’re standing by our story & our source. We’re reporting what we know. This will stand the test of time. WGI can’t publicly confirm the story until all the loose ends have been tied up.

  • Anonymous

    I have lived in the area for years and The Star Gazette and Corning Leader can barely scrape together enough news to fill a morning edition anyway. They can’t announce legally till everything is completely 100% set. Have Faith!

  • http://stergion.com Pete716

    Very true….I was told the Corning Leader had this info a week ago but the editor wouldn’t let them publish it with anonymous sources. Apparently the writer was pissed saying blogs ruin everything. :)

  • Anonymous

    The Star Gazette isn’t exactly know for breaking news, and the Corning Leader is worse than them. They can’t legally announce anything officially till Phish is ready to make their announcement. I still believe it’s happening!

  • Anonymous

    I believe it’s still on Star Gazette isn’t exactly know for breaking news stories, Corning Leader is actually worse. Give it a chance!

  • Anonymous

    I believe it’s still on Star Gazette isn’t exactly know for breaking news stories, Corning Leader is actually worse. Give it a chance!

  • http://www.somafm.com/ mikesbass

    this will happen

  • Anonymous

    I live in Burdett (2 miles from Watkins Glen) and these rumors have been circling for awhile within the travel and tourism industry here. Everyone seems to think it’s happening. Small town…people talk. They even changed a local ordinance to make this happen. Previous posters are right, official WGI reps won’t open their mouths about this until Phish officially calls it. Most people around here have no idea what they are in for. But, this crowd will definitely be better for the tourism industry than the NASCAR crowd. They hit the liquor store, WalMart, Bleachers and Maria’s, but I believe the Phish fans will truly partake of the bounty of this region — the wineries, local swimming holes, Farm Sanctuary, The Rooster, The Grist Mill, The Stone Cat, Red Newt, The Distillery, the Gorge, and yes, the liquor store, as well as all the other great things around here. WE WELCOME YOU! (disclaimer: my husband’s a winemaker, 62 Phish shows and counting, and I work at Farm Sanctuary, three Phish shows and counting.) If this doesn’t happen, we will be crushed!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMRBSTT4YYU2BW2X6NU2GAQC7U Happycamper

    I think this is BS

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  • http://twitter.com/BandsThatJam Bands That Jam

    :)

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  • http://stergion.com Pete716

    :)

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