The Isle of Wight Festival kicked off yesterday (Thursday 13th June) with Wet Wet Wet, Heather Small, James Walsh and Simply Dylan all performing on the Big Top stage last night.
The gates to Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane opened earlier in the day as the site underwent its final preparations, alongside various performances and music from Isle of Wight on- site regulars Electro Love, This Feeling, Cirque de la Quirk and Kashmir Cafe. The main arena is set to open at 2pm today.
Summer of ‘69: Peace and Love is the theme of 2019, and there was no better act to launch proceedings than Simply Dylan, with his tribute to the very man who headlined the legendary Isle of Wight Festival in 1969, with a roll-call of hits including ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, ‘All Along The Watchtower’, ‘Maggie’s Farm’ resounding around the Big Top stage.
Next up was Starsailor frontman James Walsh; who surprised travellers earlier in the day by busking on a ferry from Southampton in aid of the festival’s national charity partner Macmillan. Starsailor were also announced as a last minute addition on Sunday, replacing Mystery Jets.
M People’s Heather Small was ‘Proud’ to appear on the first day of the festival, with a set of solo tracks and M People hits including ‘Moving on Up’, ‘Search For The Hero’ and ‘One Night in Heaven’.
In keeping with the changeable weather on site, Wet Wet Wet closed the night, with an uplifting set of their biggest songs – ‘Love is all Around’, ‘Somewhere Somehow’ and ‘Sweet Little Mystery’ delighting the early doors crowds, easing them into the weekend ahead.