By Chris CornfordThis week organizers of the Isle of Wight Festival announced that the largest in the Island’s calendar has been moved from its usual slot in June to September 16-19, after being cancelled completely last year due to Covid.
They aim to bring back as many of the previously booked artists as possible, to perform in front of a reduced crowd of 50,000. The line up for the original dates, June 17-20, included Lewis Capaldi, Lionel Richie, Snow Patrol and Duran Duran.
Festival boss, John Giddings, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to hold the event in September. We know there is an appetite for live music and our audience always has an incredible time at the festival. We’ll be watching and learning from the events taking place before us and, of course, liaising with all the relevant authorities to make sure everyone – audience, artists, staff, the community – is kept safe.”
However, Isle of Wight Council leader, Dave Stewart, sounded a note of caution. He said: “Although it is likely we will be out of lockdown and ‘open for business’ as an Island in September, this is not definite. Any plans must be predicated on it being safe for the festival to proceed, which will ultimately be a decision based on public health grounds.”
Organizers said all existing tickets would be valid for the new dates. Those who could not attend can contact their ticket providers for a refund.
Isle of Wight Observer