Wednesday 26 August 2020

best notify my next of kin—this wheel shall explode!

Begun on this day in 1970, the five-day Isle of Wight Festival staged at Afton Down was hailed afterwards as the largest musical spectaculars of its era, with an estimated audience approaching a quarter of a million. Performers included Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Supertramp, the Doors, Melanie (who was the only original Woodstock act scheduled to appear at its fiftieth revival), the Moody Blue and many more. The organisers of this festival would go on to hold the first Glastonbury Fair the following year.