The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970, the venues being Ford Farm (near Godshill), Wootton and Afton Down (near Freshwater) respectively. The 1970 event was by far the largest and most famous of these early festivals indeed it was said at the time to be one of the largest human gatherings in the world, surpassing the attendance at Woodstock. The most notable of over fifty performers were Bob Dylan, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, The Band, The Doors, Ten Years After, Joni Mitchell, Melanie, Donovan, Free, Chicago, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, Leonard Cohen, Jethro Tull and Tiny Tim. The unexpectedly high attendance levels (mostly non-tickets holders) meant that local authorities and the festival organizers could not supply adequate amenities and guarantee public safety for all in attendance. Such concerns led, in 1971, to Parliament passing the "Isle of Wight Act" preventing gatherings of more than 5,000 people on the island without a special licence.
The event was revived in 2002 at Seaclose Park, a recreation ground on the outskirts of Newport. It has been held annually since that year, progressively extending itself northwards beyond Seaclose Park along the fields of the eastern Medina valley. Many notable artists have performed since its revival including The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Ray Davies, Robert Plant, The Proclaimers, David Bowie, The Who, R.E.M., Coldplay and Bryan Adams. It was sponsored by Nokia from 2004 to 2006. The promoters of the event now are Solo Music Agency and promotions. Apart from being held somewhere on the Isle of Wight, and featuring the now customary artwork of Dave Roe, there is no connection with the festivals of 1968–1970.
Face value £130.00
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