10 May 2012
Isle of Wight Pop Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is one of the most well known pop festivals in the UK.
Isle of Wight Festival poster 1970
The first and biggest festivals were originally held here in the 1960s and 70s. The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was held between 26 and 31 August 1970 at East Afton Farm just up the road from the Studio Apartment. It was the last of three big music festivals to take place on the island between 1968 and 1970 and is widely acknowledged as the largest musical event of its time, bigger than Woodstock in the USA.It’s believed that over 600,000 attended the Hendrix festival – on an Island with a population of around 100,000!
Recent festivals are more modest, and better organised! Average crowds are around 50-70,000 and performers have included The Who, The Rolling Stones, REM, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Pink, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay, Neil Young, Foo Fighters, The Police, Blondie, Snow Patrol, Manic Street Preachers, Jay Zee, Groove Amada, Tom Jones, Prodigy, Kings of Leon, etc, etc.
The 2012 line-up includes Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tinie Tempah, Biffy Clyro, Madness, Pearl Jam, Feeder, Elbow, Noah & The Whale, Noel Gallagher, Joan Armatrading and The Vaccines.
The 2012 Fesival is on the 22-24 June. For more information see www.isleofwightfestival.com