- What: A legendary music festival returns
- When: June (11-13 in 2010)
- Where: Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight
- Admission: Limited to about 50,000 so tickets go quickly. Once tickets sell out, visit the festival community forum for returns
- Website
Between 1968 and 1970, The Isle of Wight Festival was Europe's answer to Woodstock. Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Joni Mitchel, Joan Baez , Leonard Cohen and Moody Blues all performed back then. The crowd swelled to 600,000 and panicked legislators voted to prohibit audiences larger than 5,000 on the island. The Isle of Wight festival was revived in 2002 and, since then, on a small scale, the ticket only event has grown every year. And the headliners have gotten bigger and better. In 2007, The Rolling Stones closed the weekend. Before them Groove Armada, Amy Winehouse, Kasabian, Ash, Wolfmother, Keane, The Fratellis, Melanie C, James Morrison and more were in the line-up.
2010 Lineup
This eclectic island festival throws up surprises every year. Newcomers, icons, hot bands of the minute are all in the mix. For example, this list represents just a fraction of the lineup for 2010:- Jay-Z
- Florence and the Machine
- The iconic Blondie with the still cool Debbie Harry
- Daisy Dares You
- The reinvented and once again touring Siobhan Fahey as Shakespeares Sister
- 80's uber band Spandau Ballet
- Juliette Lewis
- Pink
- NME Album of the Decade winners, The Strokes
- Calvin Harris
- Suzi Quattro (Leather Tuscadero is still rockin')
Tickets
Check the website to buy tickets from the official online and telephone sources. As with any festival, buying tickets online from unofficial sources can be risky.Because audience numbers are deliberately contained to about 50,000 tickets go in a flash. But there is a lively trade in returns and unused tickets on the festivals own community website for those too determined to wait until next year.
