25th Anniversary of Woodstock 99: Top 4 Harrowing Moments of the Infamous Event

Music festivals have seen great success, long-lasting residencies, and cataclysmic failures resulting in fleeting existences. Among these failures is the infamously iconic Woodstock 99 in Rome, New York. 

The festival was often forgotten about by younger generations until the documentary Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage was released in 2021. The documentary illuminates the destruction, sexual harassment, violent acts, and other atrocities that occurred at the festival. 

In light of such disasters, here are the top five worst moments that keep heads turning 25 years later.

1. The Tragic Deaths of Three Festival Goers

Any death is sickening, but to happen at a place tailored towards escape and celebration makes it all the worse. The lack of readily available medical resources claimed the lives of David DeRosia, Tara Weaver, and an unidentified 44-year-old man. DeRosia died of heat-related causes, Weaver was hit by a car and the 44-year-old man suffered from cardiac arrest. 

Numerous lawsuits were filed by victims’ families, all under similar claims regarding the inadequate medical attention present. 

2. Sexual Harassment & Assault

Disgustingly, a significant staple of Woodstock 99 were distasteful acts taken out against women. According to the documentary, there were numerous reports of sexual assault and four alleged r*pe cases. However, given that roughly 200,000 people were present, sources and attendees say it is fair to assume that this behavior transpired on a larger scale. 

One testimony given by a production manager in the documentary details a horrific scene with an under-aged woman in the back of a stolen van during Fatboy Slim’s set. There was an excess of sexual misdeeds witnessed, further showing the negligence of event planners, law enforcement, and audience members. 

3. Poor Sanitation & Health Conditions

When one looks at pictures of Woodstock 99, it seems as if they are looking at the trenches of a battlefield. Matter of fact, one of the many health outbreaks that occurred during the event was Trench Mouth. One woman told Esquire that on the last day, she woke up with “a very sore throat, cold sores all over my lips, ulcers all over my tongue and my gums and in my mouth.” 

Bathrooms were rarely cleaned, causing feces to leak into the shower and drinking water, creating a toxic “sh*t mud,” per Esquire. One can’t even begin to comprehend how many illnesses other than Trench Mouth were contracted, but like the sexual misconduct reports, there was a vast amount of other reports filed.

4. Vandalism & Violence

Once again, images of Woodstock 99 look like a depiction of a dystopian world. These images can be attributed to the mass outbreak of violence and vandalism perpetrated by audience members. Broken stages and ongoing fires seemed to be around every other corner, as well as the destruction of peoples’ personal property. 

One instance of this behavior revealing itself is when someone stole and crashed a van (the same van where the under-aged woman was found) into Fatboy Slim’s truck during his set. “There was adrenaline coming out of my ears. I did exactly what I was told and ran,” Slim said in the documentary. 

Many often credit the consecutive line-up of Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine, and Metallica as the turning point that took the festival from peaceful to chaotic. “They can’t have Limp Bizkit come out and then say, ‘alright the crowds going to calm down,’” one attendee stated in the Woodstock 99 MTV Documentary.

Woodstock 99 became an example of how not to organize a music festival. This list only highlights a few things making this one of the most chaotic music festivals of all time. 

(Photo by Howard Arnold Collection/Getty Images)