Netflix’s latest documentary, Train Wreck: Woodstock 99, highlights the disastrous festival that occurred just before the millennium.
The three-part limited series delves into the disaster, which took place in New York from July 22 to July 25, 1999 and aims to recreate the original 1969 Woodstock Festival.
However, it has become one of the worst musical events ever due to difficult environmental conditions and massive amounts of violence, sexual assault, theft, vandalism and fires.
The Netflix show uses archival footage and interviews to detail exactly what happened over the weekend, many shockingly disastrous events.
One thing everyone wants to know is how many people were present at Woodstock 99? Read on to find out…
Train wreck: Woodstock 99 | Official Trailer | Netflix
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Train wreck: Woodstock 99 | Official Trailer | Netflix
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How many people are in Woodstock 99?
400,000 people attended Woodstock 99 over the three-day weekend.
Speaking of Train Wreck: Woodstock 99, director Jamie Crawford said, “There were 400,000 people and four million people will tell you they were there.”
This is because the festival was a complete disaster and no one who attended a car accident event will be forgotten.
“I don’t think anyone going to Woodstock 99 wanted it to be disastrous,” he continued. However, it unfortunately turned out to be riddled with problems.
“They all looked forward to recreating the virtuous magic of the original Woodstock, but in many ways the lightning in the bottle wasn’t really there.”
The New York Festival was a disaster
“Woodstock ’99 was meant to be a celebration of the millennium with peace, love and great music,” said the description of the Netflix documentary.
“Instead, the festival has turned into an epic train wreck of fires, riots and destruction,” he continues, before describing the weekend as “three days of utter chaos.”
The disaster began with the fact that due to recent storms, the entire festival site was covered in thick mud. Besides, the temperature was very high and the food and drink prices were really high.
Unfortunately, as reported by Pitchfork, three people died over the weekend, and there were also 1,200 admissions to medical facilities on site.
In addition, there were 44 arrests, several accounts of sexual assault and a massive fire on the last night after a Mercedes caught fire.
It was supposed to be a huge success
Festival tickets cost $150 for the weekend, which was seen as a bit expensive at the time, but many were happy to pay for the amazing lineup.
Jamiroquai, Sheryl Crow, Metallica, Limp Bizkit, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers were just a few of the great performers who performed.
Held at the former Griffis Air Force Base in Rome, New York, the event was supposed to recreate the first-ever Woodstock Festival in 1969.
Held from August 15 to August 18, 1999 in Bethel, New York, it was described as “Three Days of Peace and Music” and unlike the 1999 Festival, it was exactly that.
32 works were performed, including Jimi Hendrix and The Who, and a successful documentary was made about it in 1970 which included a soundtrack written by Joni Mitchell.
Unfortunately, the 1999 event was far from the utopia of 1969, and the Woodstock festivals haven’t taken place since.
In other news, how many people are in Woodstock 99?