Festivals and events on the Isle of Wight
Festivals and events on the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a holiday destination for the summer and spring, try visiting it in winter, you’ll nit be disappointed, thanks to the plethora of festivals which will keep you busy. The Jazz Festival has been taking place for the last three years and has seen good crowds. The atmosphere is a strange but exciting concoction of raw energy and genuine warmth of the people. There a good lot of jazz bands who perform in the festival and most of them have this unique way of connecting a powerful aura with the audience.
The Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight plays host to quite a few musical festival which takes place every year. The very first festival in Isle of Wight took place back in 1968 when bands such as T Rex, Jefferson Airplane and Plastic Penny. Around ten thousand gathered at the Isle of Wight to witness these groups play in a decrepit stage made of two trailers. Whatever your interests is chances are that there is a related festival at the Island. The following year, the organizers were determined to pull to make it an even better attraction. After much persuasion and being shown a video depicting the island’s splendid natural beauty Bob Dylan agreed to headline. He was particularly influenced by the fact that he will be performing at the place where the legendary Alfred Lord Tennyson had resided. Other acts to have appeared include Richie Havens, Joe Cocker and Free.
By 1979, the Island’s festival became a major hotspot for music fans around the globe and the line-up included some of the best in the industry. When Jimi Hendrix agreed to be a part of the festival, all hell broke loose; artists were almost having a duel in an effort to appear alongside the legendary guitarist. Leonard Cohen, The Who, The Moody Blues, Sly & The Family Stone, Emerson Lake & Palmera and Free were the acts which got the chance to share the stage with the legend. It was to be Hendrix’s final performance, he was found dead a month later under mysterious circumstances, aged just 27.
Sunday Best Bestival
Bestival is held at Robin Hill Country Park which is on the outskirts of Newport. The Sunday Best Bestival is voted as the “Best Medium Festival” at the UK Festival Awards. This year the line-up includes Underworld, Pendulum, My Bloody Valentine, Amy Winehouse, The Flaming Lips and lots more.
Isle of Wight Cycling Festival
Every year the island hosts an Isle of Wight Cycling Festival which features numerous cycling events aimed at testing different disciplines and abilities. The races include Single cycle, on-road 65 mile, Sink or Swim and the tougher ones can go for the 3,7 ,14 hills challenge which is a real stamina tester.
White Air Extreme Sports Festival
White Air Extreme Sports Festival is a wild concoction of water, air, land, beach and live music. More than 500 competitors for 40 countries converge on the island to take part in the 18 action sports and the 21 open to public sports.
