Is Phish Returning to Watkins Glen in 2018?

Short answer: yep, Phish confirmed Curveball on February 26, 2018.

Phish has yet to announce another festival after 2015’s Magnaball, their 10th festival and their second time at the Watkins Glen International Speedway. After the success of those last two events, it’s encouraging to hear that even the President of Watkins Glen would want them to return back to the grounds to host their next soirée.

In a recent interview with the local rag, Michael Printup spoke kindly of the “partnership” they have with the band and how he’d love to have them back next year or year after, because “they only do those festivals every three to four years.”

The two Phish festivals were obviously successful. Are there any plans for similar events in the future?

We found a niche obviously with Phish. We were the first company out of International Speedway Corporation’s portfolio back in 2011 to do a big-time concert, which was Phish then. We’ve hosted some small things here or there, but that was a pretty large opportunity. We want to continue doing them. Phish is a great partner of ours. They only do those festivals every three to four years. Their last one was ’15. Maybe ’18, ’19 we hope to maybe get Phish back. But we’d love to have an annual concert. I wouldn’t make it our portfolio business, because our business is racing, but definitely we’ve found a niche. They started it back in 1973 (with Summer Jam) and we’re only brokering off somebody else’s idea. But that would be important because it’s alternative uses of the property. You have this 1,861-acre property. How do you best utilize it besides seven events a year?

Really no big surprises there, but one could easily assume that him saying this outloud is his way of hoping to initiate that next contract negotiation as soon as possible. Let’s hope that’s the case.

Q&A: Printup talks future of WGI, IndyCar, Phish via JamBase

UPDATE 8.16.17: hearing that security team contracts have been signed via some Facebook phan groups that I’m a part of, so take that for what it is — more rumors from the community! But when there’s smooke in the Phish world, there’s usually some fire coming later.

UPDATE 8.24.17:

Hotels in Watkins Glen confirming August 17-19 over the phone
Reserve em now #FestXI

— PhishatMSG (@PhishatMSG) August 24, 2017

UPDATE 10.12.17:
Further fueling the fire is news today that the IndyCar and Watkins Glen couldn’t “find a weekend that would work for the fans, the series, and the track.”

Statement pic.twitter.com/Y7cGMv6M9f

— Watkins Glen International (@WGI) October 12, 2017

…with evidence showing that the IndyCar group is hosting their event that same weekend in the Poconos.

Check out our full gallery from Magnaball as well as some insight on that Drive-In Set.

UPDATE 1.23.18:
Phish just announced their summer tour with a big gap between the final date in August and their normal Labor Day run at Dick’s in Colorado. Still on the table for sure…

UPDATE 2.23.18:
This screenshot surfaced showing that indeed the Phish concert was discussed during a Town Hall meeting back on Jan. 22, 2018. This is happening.