On August 6, 1970, a plethora of artists across many different genres came together in Queens, New York for Festival for Peace, a concert that marked the day the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The concert was the second in a series to raise money for the anti-war effort, so the chosen date was doubly significant.
The U.S. was embroiled in the Vietnam War at the time, five years away from its conclusion. Additionally, it had been 25 years since we dropped the bomb. The Festival for Peace was a way to gain support in the anti-war movement, but also to bring attention to the devastating use of atomic warfare 25 years earlier.
There is no footage of the concert, and not much promotional material remains. There exists a clipping from The Village Voice dated July 30, 1970 that details the concert at Shea Stadium in Queens. The concert was scheduled for 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and featured many artists who were influential voices in protest music as well as some generally popular acts of the time.
The lineup included Janis Joplin, Paul Simon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steppenwolf, The James Gang, Miles Davis, Johnny Winter, Herbie Hancock, Dionne Warwick, John Sebastian, and The Rascals. Additional acts included the Broadway cast of Hair, Pacific Gas & Electric, Ten Wheel Drive, The Staple Singers, Mother Earth, Richie Havens, Tom Paxton, and Poco, among others.
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Today Marks the 79th Anniversary of the Hiroshima Bomb, and 54 Years Since the Festival for Peace
Janis Joplin initially wasn’t on the bill, but her former band was. She joined Big Brother & The Holding Company on stage in her last performance with them, as she died two months later. Other last minute acts added about two hours to the concert.
Unfortunately, according to an account at the time by WCBS New York, per Ultimate Guitar, the Summer Festival for Peace was not as memorable as its Winter predecessor. The Winter Festival for Peace occurred on January 28, 1970 at Madison Square Garden. Despite the significance of the Summer festival date, the Winter festival-goers were allegedly more dedicated to the cause.
“The venue was in the flight path of Kennedy Airport, and airplane noise was frequent,” reads the account from WCBS. “The stage was out at second base, but the crowd was in the bleachers. The Winter Festival crowd had been full of committed activists, but this one was made up mostly of people who wanted to smoke, drink, and listen to amplified rock music, not Simon’s acoustic stuff. In the middle of his third number, after a few boos broke out, Simon left the stage and did not return. And the Summer Festival for Peace was quickly forgotten.”
Accordingly, the Summer Festival for Peace has all but faded from history. However, it paved the way for The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid in 1985, and Live Aid for Ethiopia, also in 1985. The various Festivals for Peace brought renewed attention to the power of music in raising awareness for humanitarian issues.
