The Altamont Festival
Quick Summary
The Altamont Festival was a one-day rock music festival held on December 6, 1969, at the Altamont Speedway in Livermore, California. Organized by the Rolling Stones as a thank-you to their fans, it was intended to feature Santana, Jefferson Airplane, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the Rolling Stones themselves.1
The festival was poorly organized and marred by violence. A significant contributing factor was the hiring of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club to provide security. This decision led to altercations throughout the day, culminating in the stabbing death of Meredith Hunter, an 18-year-old African-American man, during the Rolling Stones' performance. Altamont is often contrasted with Woodstock and has been described as "the day the '60s died".12
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