It is here that many huge acts have appeared, both during its original run from 1968 to 1970 and every year since its revival in 2002, making it a cult force on the festival scene and a location to witness some of the biggest names in rock in one fantastic location.
Isle of Wight Festival tickets are must-have items when they go on sale as they give punters passes to witness acts such as The Strokes, Jay-Z, Blondie and Pink. At the same time they are witnessing a festival that attracted rock icons in its 1960s heydays, from the likes of Bob Dylan and The Doors to Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix.
These early years have gone down in history as some of the best gigs of all time, with Bob Dylan appearing in 1968 despite uncertainty over his post-motorcycle accident career. It became his first performance in two years and gave audience members in 1968 an opportunity to witness history in the making, with Dylan returning a year later despite Woodstock appearing a little closer to home.
1970 was a big year in the history of the Isle of Wight Festival and whilst stories of Bob Dylan dominated the line ups of the previous years, 1970 had its own story. The event of that year went down in history as the last ever performance by Jimi Hendrix in the UK, as well as the year that something between 600,000 and 800,000 people descended upon the Isle of Wight, which normally has population of only 100,000. Over the weekend, audiences witnessed the likes of Kris Kistofferson, Supertramp, John Sebastian, Lighthouse, The Doors, The Who, Miles Davis, Jethro Tull, Richie Havens, Joan Baez and The Moody Blues.
But the logistical nightmare that was hosting the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival led to it disappearing from the musical calendar for 32 years, finally emerging again in 2002 for a glorious revival. That year, it went by the name Rock Island and appeared in its current location of Seaclose Park. It featured an array of big name acts, including The Charlatans, Robert Plant, Ash, Starsailor and The Coral. It was a huge success and in the years since it has seen everyone from The Rolling Stones to The Who and the Manic Street Preachers appear at this location. The king of rock festivals was back with no end in sight.
Recent years at the Isle of Wight Festival have seen the likes of Basement Jaxx, Pendulum, Pixies, Neil Young and Simple Minds appear as well as Stereophonics, The Prodigy and more, with Blondie, The Strokes and Jay-Z appearing in 2010. It means that has the years roll by, Isle of Wight Festival tickets will continue to sell out fast.