The Isle of Wight Festival was the first major festival in the UK summer calendar every year. But the Festival’s heritage reaches back over an extraordinary 51 years, is incredibly rich and varied and some facts are better known than others.

The Isle of Wight Festival was first held on the 26th – 31st August 1970 on Afton Down an area on the Western side of the Isle of Wight and was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the island between 1968 and 1970.  In 1970, a line up over 5 days included (amongst others) Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Supertramp, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, Chicago, Procol Harum and played to over 600,000 people.

There was no Isle of Wight Festival between 1970 and 2002 – when John Giddings, an established music promoter, seized the opportunity to re-launch it. John still curates every part of the Festival we enjoy today.

Since 2002, The Isle of Wight Festival stages have hosted The Rolling Stones, The Who, David Bowie, Muse, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Kasabian, Amy Winehouse, Kings of Leon, Jay-Z, The Strokes, Coldplay, The Sex Pistols, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, Blondie and Biffy Clyro.

The Isle of Wight itself enjoys a micro climate. The location, just 2 hours from London door to door, yet across the water, provides a feeling of escapism that others struggle to achieve.