The Woodstock 50 meme emerged from the chaotic and ultimately cancelled attempt to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original 1969 Woodstock festival. Throughout 2019, the event became a symbol of organizational failure as it lost its original venue, funding partners, and headlining acts in quick succession. Internet users began using the festival's branding to mock overly ambitious projects that fall apart under pressure, often drawing parallels to the infamous Fyre Festival. It serves as a digital shorthand for great expectations meeting a disastrous reality, frequently utilized to joke about cancelled plans, mismanagement, or any pop culture event that fails to live up to its massive hype.