kids encyclopedia robot

Newport Pop Festival facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
The Newport Pop Festival
Newport Pop Festival poster.jpg
Genre Rock, pop, etc.
Dates August 3–4, 1968
June 20–22, 1969
Location(s) Costa Mesa, California (1968)
Northridge, California (1969)
Years active 1968-1969
Attendance 100,000 (1968)
200,000 (1969)

The Newport Pop Festival was a big music event held in California during the late 1960s. The first festival took place in Costa Mesa, California, on August 3–4, 1968. It was the first music concert to have over 100,000 people who paid to attend!

A second festival, called Newport 69, happened in Northridge, California, from June 20–22, 1969. This event was even bigger, with about 200,000 people attending. These festivals were important because they showed how popular rock and pop music had become.

About the Newport Pop Festivals

There were two main events in the late 1960s known as the "Newport Pop Festival." The first one in 1968 was simply called the Newport Pop Festival. It was held at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California.

The second event in 1969 was first called "Newport 69." It took place at Devonshire Downs in Northridge, California. Over the years, people have sometimes mixed up these two festivals because they had similar names.

Who Organized the Festivals?

Mark Robinson helped organize both festivals. He was one of the main people behind the 1968 event, along with Gary R. Schmidt and his father, Al Schmidt. Al Schmidt helped with the money and getting permits.

For the 1969 "Newport 69" show, Mark Robinson organized it on his own. He spent a lot of money to get famous bands to play. For example, he paid Jimi Hendrix a very large amount for the 1969 show, which was unusual for that time.

The 1968 Newport Pop Festival

The first Newport Pop Festival was held at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. It happened on August 3–4, 1968. This festival was special because it was the first pop music concert to have over 100,000 people who paid to get in.

Changes Before the Show

The festival was supposed to be inside the fairgrounds. But so many tickets were sold that they realized the space wouldn't be big enough. Just three days before the festival, it was moved to a large parking lot next to the fairgrounds.

This last-minute change caused some problems. Fences, stages, and food areas had to be set up very quickly. Some people without tickets managed to get in for free. Food and drinks ran out quickly because the sellers weren't ready for so many people. Water was available from garden hoses, but attendees had to bring their own cups.

Despite these issues, city officials helped by setting up an emergency campsite. They also brought in more toilets and water tanks. This festival helped organizers learn what to expect at future large music events.

Performers and Highlights

Famous radio DJ Harvey "Humble Harve" Miller helped promote the festival and hosted the event. Many popular bands played, including Tiny Tim, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe McDonald, The Chambers Brothers, and Steppenwolf.

Rolling Stone Magazine wrote about the festival. They mentioned that about 140,000 people attended. They also talked about the dusty field and the sound system not being loud enough for everyone.

Some fun moments included Country Joe and the Fish getting the crowd excited with their song "1, 2, 3, 4, What Are We Fighting For." Another highlight was when David Crosby started a pie fight with Jefferson Airplane, and thousands of people joined in! Helicopters even flew overhead, dropping flowers on the audience.

Bands that played on Saturday, August 3, 1968:

Bands that played on Sunday, August 4, 1968:

After the 1968 festival, local leaders in Costa Mesa did not want another one. So, the next festival had to find a new location.

The 1969 "Newport 69" Festival

Newport 69
Genre Rock, pop, etc.
Dates June 20–22, 1969
Location(s) Northridge, California (1969)
Attendance 200,000 (1969)

The "Newport 69" festival was held from June 20–22, 1969. It was attended by an estimated 200,000 fans. This made it the largest pop concert up to that time. Many people remember this festival more because of the famous Jimi Hendrix Experience performing.

The festival took place at Devonshire Downs, which used to be a racetrack. Today, this area is part of the North Campus of California State University at Northridge.

Bands that played on Friday, June 20, 1969:

Bands that played on Saturday, June 21, 1969:

Bands that played on Sunday, June 22, 1969:

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Newport Pop Festival Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.