Concert Guru

Home of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair. (Yes. THAT Woodstock!)

Constructed on the site of the original festival, Bethel Woods (or simply 'Bethel', as locals refer to it), opened their doors on July 4, 2006 with a performance by the New York Philharmonic. For 18 years, Bethel Woods has seen some of the biggest acts of all musical genres grace the pavilion stage, from Brad Paisley to Willie Nelson, The Who to Dave Matthews Band, and even Taylor Swift to Elton John.

In the visitor center, on the main floor, you'll find a visitors information desk, small food area to the left, and the Event Gallery to the right.  The sound quality is excellent, and the lighting, along with the large fireplace behind the stage, really help to create a very intimate feeling, almost like sitting around a campfire listening to music.

Walking out of the back doors will lead you to a patio are just behind a small outdoor concrete amphitheater that plays host to outdoor movie nights as well as small theater performances.  Downstairs you'll find restrooms, as well as a small exhibit in the hallway with some Woodstock history, as well as the entrance for the Museum at Bethel Woods (highly recommend it if this is your first time visiting here).  As of this posting, by showing your ticket stub the day of the concert, the entry fee for the museum is $12.  The Event Gallery, depending on seating layout, can accommodate 200-400 guests.  

Walking up the entrance path to the main building (before security) will be a merch tent on your left, and to the right will be a tent for VIP and camping check-in. Following the path from the main entrance of Bethel Woods to get to the pavilion, you'll pass through a typical security checkpoint of metal detectors.  Bethel Woods has recently added ticket scanning machines that are manned by volunteer staff.  They've started leaning into more digital ticketing this year, it seems.  We recently visited and found out that either our physical ticket or the scanner wasn't working to scan me in. (Luckily, a quick trip to the box office to get a digital ticket texted to me fixed the issue.  Though, if you're like us and still like to keep a physical ticket as a memento, just be aware that it might not work at the gate.  It is a bummer to have spent the extra $3.50 for a physical ticket from Ticketmaster only for it to not even work.)

Once through security, on the left is the Green Room.  For an extra fee (varies depending on the event), it's a nice break from the crowd that includes food and drink options. We have seen at some concerts that it can get very crowded inside, so it loses some of that private oasis feeling to it.  Along the path down to the pavilion, you'll find tents set up from local and major vendors, such as Jim Beam for free tastings, as well as radio stations and other companies.  You'll also find a merch tent and some food and drink stands as well, more as you get closer to the lawn section of the pavilion.  Just before the path splits behind the lawn, to the right you'll find a building with some food options and restrooms.

Where the main path splits, if you continue straight up the small knoll, it leads you to the lawn chair rentals and then to the lawn seating area itself.  There is also a large drinks tent to the left.  At this junction before walking up the path to the lawn will (typically) be two tents: a ticket upgrade/ticket information tent and a designated driver tent.  The ticket upgrade/info tent is for anyone to stop and see if better seats are available to "trade" your ticket for with a small fee ($20 per ticket).  Prior to 2024, a physical ticket used to be handed to you for your new seat, though this unfortunately changed this year and is now processed through a secondary Ticketmaster site on the staff's iPads.  The designated driver tent is a great place to stop if someone in your party isn't planning on imbibing during the show. After the concert, simply return your badge to this tent and you'll be entered to win prizes from Bethel Woods.

*Guru Tip*:  As soon as you make your way through security, head to the ticket upgrade/info tent first. You can always backtrack up the main path afterwards.  We usually buy a cheap lawn ticket and head to this tent first to grab the best available seat under the pavilion. (To give you an idea, we purchased a $30 lawn ticket, paid $20 for a seat upgrade at this tent, and ended up 5th row from the stage, though off to the right side.  This was at least a $200+ ticket if purchased directly through Ticketmaster.)  Keep in mind that this tent may not always be set up, especially for nearly or completely sold out shows.  It's definitely worth taking 5 minutes just to stop by though to find out what's available.  This tent can be used by anyone, so even if you have a cheaper, back of the pavilion ticket, you might be able to snag a closer seat for only $20 more.

Backing up to where the path splits, going to the left will lead you around to the left side of the pavilion, with more food vendors along the way.  There are portable bathrooms at the very end of this side of the path.  Also along this path, on the right side, will be a small "VIP" tented area (usually rented by local companies for their employees). If you continue down that path towards the pavilion, off to the left is a VIP area with its own food stands and restrooms.  We've personally been in this area once and will say that it is a much more relaxed, away from the main crowd area to get a bite to eat and not deal with long bathroom lines.  You'll also have a pretty nice view of the backstage area, from the tour buses to the outdoor eating area for artists.  (We were actually lucky enough to get a wave from John Popper of Blues Traveler while we were relaxing in this area, so you never know who you might see.)

If you head to the right from where the main path splits, it will lead you past a couple of drinks vendors on your way to the pavilion.  When you reach the bottom of this path, to your right will be a small wooden bridge that takes you to a food court area, as well as more restrooms.  At the back right side of this area is the ADA drop-off/pick-up area for the parking lot as well.  The pavilion has seating for 4,500 guests, and a lawn capacity of 10,500, for a total capacity of 16,000 (including box seats).  The lawn, as well as the lawns on the entire 1,000 acre campus, are kept immaculate.  The team at Bethel Woods does an amazing job of keeping this entire facility incredibly clean as a whole.  There are certainly no signs of aging infrastructure as far as the eye can see.  There are also smoking areas located through the facility, usually along the pathways closer to the pavilion.  Just look for the signs and cigarette butt disposal canisters. Parking is pretty straight-forward.

Large grass field lots (small parts are gravel closer to the paved section), a paved premium (cost varies by event), ADA (there is a tent set up across from this area with trams for ADA patrons to use that will take you down a pathway into a separate ADA-only entrance), and motorcycle parking area.

The main entrance off of Route 17B is the most popular way into the venue coming from the west.  However, if you're arriving from the east, there are side roads before the main entrance that will lead you into the "back" where more grass field parking is available.  This back side is typically easier to enter and exit with your vehicle, though bear in mind the roads have lower speed limits than the main road, and if you're unfamiliar with them, have some twists and turns in the dark when leaving.  Exiting from the main entrance is the easiest option but the slowest. (Parking in the "back" area will also give you an much better opportunity to stop and check out the historical plaque for Woodstock on your way to the main gates.  It's quite a long walk from the main entrance parking area to the plaque - think 20-30 minutes at a faster pace.)

Exiting out the main entrance, both lanes of the road are opened for patrons to leave.  Please, please, please, if you're exiting this way and are turning left at the entrance on Route 17B to get back to Route 17, try your best to get into the left lane long before getting to the main road.  Too many impatient people wait until reaching Route 17B to cut over from the right lane at the last second that causes the flow of traffic to stop and back up longer than need be (there are State Troopers directing traffic at this intersection, fair warning).  This is the direction the majority of traffic heads when leaving.

Bethel Woods has recently tried out on-property camping, both tents and RVs, though they do put capacity limits on both so it doesn't turn into the free-for-all that Woodstock did. Prices range from $199-$499 a night. (Check Bethel's website for current pricing.)  I personally have not tried this, as the proximity of Bethel Woods to my home doesn't necessitate the need to stay overnight there.  More information about camping can be found on Bethel's website if it's something that may interest you. (We will say, it's an incredibly quiet place, so nights should be quite peaceful...barring any rowdy campers.)

Scores

Getting There: 8/10

Located just under 2 hours north/northwest of NYC, the nearest main highway is Route 17 (the "future" Interstate 86), coming from both east and west. (The Epicenter at Resorts World Catskills is only two exits before the exit for Bethel Woods off of Route 17.)  However, once off the highway to Bethel Woods, Route 17B is a predominantly one-lane road, with a couple of stoplights along the way, that backs up quickly for sold out events and it can be quite a long crawl. (To give you an idea, I've attend a few shows where it took me a solid hour or more to drive the 11 miles from Route 17 to Bethel Woods in stop-and-go traffic.)  If Route 17B were to eventually be expanded to two-lanes on both sides, it would make traffic much more bearable getting to and from the venue.  You will more than likely crawl most of the way back to Route 17 while driving down Route 17B, so have patience.  However, if you're attending an performance in the Event Gallery, the crowd is significantly smaller, so parking and traffic are non-existent issues. 

Cleanliness: 10/10

As mentioned before, this venue is incredibly clean. Probably the cleanest of all venues I've been to.  It definitely feels like everyone from the staff to the crowd greatly respects the historical nature of the grounds that they're on and do their part to keep it beautiful for generations to come.

Production Quality: 10/10

Without going into specific equipment, the sound and lighting are top-notch. Admittedly, we have been to a small handful of shows where the sound was distorted, though that was chalked up to the performers' preferences unfortunately. More often than not though, the sound is crisp, clear, and loud.  Lighting for the stage is always great, as is pathways around the grounds at night.

Staff: 10/10

Keep in mind that a large portion of the staff are volunteers, from greeters to ushers. In 18 years of going to Bethel Woods, we've had nothing but pleasant interactions with every staff member we've interacted with.

Food/Drink Options: 6/10

Sadly, it seems like food options have become more and more basic at the food buildings.  The menus used to be quite extensive with some creative offerings.  Unfortunately, it's typical hot dogs, fries, chips, burgers, chicken tenders, etc. these days.  And, of course, the prices are what you'd expect as well: pricey.  A hot dog and small bag of chips will set you back $10.  Pepsi is the soft drink vendor for the venue ($5 for a small, one-size only cup).  Beers will run you $13-$16 for a tall can.  Cocktails start at $16 up to $22. (In my opinion, the mixed drinks aren't very strong for what you're paying.)

Other Amenities:  9/10

Bethel has finally installed free wi-fi that covers most of the grounds (it's hit and miss down near the pavilion).  It also appears at least one cell tower was built nearby, as cell service was also non-existent for years (you're up in the southern edge of the Catskill Mountains, after all).  Restrooms are plentiful, though they could add a few more for females as those lines can get quite long from what I've seen.  The museum is definitely worth a visit if it's your first time at the venue.

Parking: 8/10

We've driven straight out without hesitation after seeing a performance in the Event Gallery, and spent over an hour crawling out of the parking lots from a sold out show.  If the main road (Hurd Road) in and out of Bethel Woods was expanded to two lanes in both directions, it would tremendously improve traffic flow.  As mentioned before, when you're leaving and if you're turning east on Route 17B to get back to Route 17, do your best to get over into the left lane sooner rather than later.  (Just be aware that patrons leaving the premium and ADA parking areas will be coming down the left lane already, as the parking field enters in the right lane at the bottom of the field.)  Also, please keep in mind that there are houses along the entrance road (Hurd Road) to Bethel Woods, so be respectful and don't honk, flash your lights, or blast music entering or leaving the venue.

*Guru Tip*:  After the show instead of following the path back up to the main gates to exit with the rest of the crowd, head towards the right side of the venue and walk through the grass up the hill towards the visitor center (use caution, as dew or rain will make it slippery) back to the main gates, past the Horizon Stage.  You'll beat a large portion of the crowd back to the parking areas, and thereby exiting before some of the traffic and getting you home sooner.  Bonus if you're a fast walker.  (Keep in mind that the visitors center is closed before the end of the concert, and the doors are locked, so you won't be able to cut through there.  You must exit through the main gates.)

Overall: 9/10

While there are some thing that could use some attention (food/drinks), it's an incredibly beautiful, clean, and historic venue, with excellent sound and lighting quality.  The atmosphere is always lively, and there's just something about being up in the quiet mountains listening to loud music that feels like you're attending some secret hidden-away concert that no one else can hear for miles around.