An exhibition celebrating the history of the iconic Isle of Wight festival opens in London next week.
This year marks the 25th edition of Isle of Wight Festival, including the three original events held in 1968, ‘69 and ‘70.
To celebrate the landmark in music history, Experience 25 – an exhibition dedicated to the festival’s history - will run at the O2’s Innovation Centre between September 19 and November 13.
The exhibition will feature an archive documenting some of the festival’s most magical moments, from Bob Dylan’s 150,000 strong crowd in 1969, which included three of The Beatles, to Amy Winehouse’s duet with Mick Jagger in 2007.
Visitors will travel back in time and be invited into the office of Ray Foulk, the original curator of the first three festivals; stepping inside an authentic recreation of Ray's creative and chaotic workspace.
Also on display will be original images and footage of performances by The Doors, The Who, Joni Mitchell, and even Hendrix shredding in front a 500,000 strong crowd in 1970.
Guests will then be transported to 2002, when promoter John Giddings revived the festival, beginning its successful run to the present day.
You can relive David Bowie’s headline set in 2004, Jay Z’s dominating performance in 2010, and Dave Grohl cementing himself in rock history in 2011, all the way through to Green Day taking the reins in 2024.
John Giddings said: “The iconic Isle of Wight festival in 1970 was the Woodstock of Europe, but the Isle of Wight Member of Parliament at the time, in all his wisdom, decided to ban it for 32 years, allowing others to pick up the baton.
“They let us restart it for the Queen’s Jubilee and it has gone from strength to strength - re-establishing this small Island off the south coast of England as a worldwide brand.
“Here is a celebration of the last 22 years, with the original three years added by kind courtesy of Ray Foulk, without whom, it would not exist.”
Ray Foulk said: “My family is delighted to contribute to this commemorative show with historic items and archives as it travels from the Island to the O2.
“It is with great pride that our embryonic rock festivals of more than half a century ago have been so successfully and splendidly revived.”
House Rules
We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.