WHO needs Ibiza when we have our own White Isle just hours away?
I’m convinced festivals are the only place that adults can truly play and the Isle of Wight Festival is one of the oldest and still the best in the summer calendar.
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Hosting a musical line-up that would not be out of place in the Nineties, including rock heavyweights Noel Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft, as well as rave royalty Fatboy Slim and indie band Friendly Fires – I knew I was in for a great weekend.
The Isle of Wight Festival has been around since 1969 and prides itself on being the first major UK festival of the summer.
Set across the backdrop of Seaclose Park, festivalgoers get the benefit of escaping across the water to a destination just a couple of hours from London.
If you have ever thought there was an age limit on attending festivals, the Isle of Wight is the place to be proven wrong.
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Drawing crowds of all ages, I found myself dancing with children watching Keane and standing next to Oasis fans who remembered the days when Liam and Noel could share a stage.
I even got the bus with a man who has returned every year since the very first one. At 27, I was happy to learn that I had plenty more years of singing in a field to come. Families camped alongside stag do’s and age was not any indication of who was going to stay out the latest.
Although admittedly there is strong focus on indie rock, the variety of music on offer did surprise me. Once the Main stage and Big Top had closed their doors, DJs could be found in Electro Love tent, as well as Drum & Bass in the woods courtesy of Cirque de la Quirk.
If it was nostalgia you were seeking Madness and Rick Astley were on hand. It is refreshing to see that this is still a festival for real music lovers. Instagram influencers do not reign here.
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While your musical tastes may stay the same over the years, my need for home comforts has definitely evolved. The festival offered a range of camping options from luxury to budget. With a general camping ticket costing £209, and £160 if you buy an earlybird ticket, it remains much cheaper than Glastonbury.
Despite being a self-confessed festival junkie, I am a girly girl at heart and sceptical of the UK’s ability to have a rain-free weekend. However, I needn’t have worried.
My home for the weekend was one of Eve’s Tipis in a VIP camping area – meaning my tent was spacious, dry and did not need to be assembled on arrival. Plus the added benefit of hot showers, luxury toilets and beauty parlour meant I could channel “festival chic” rather than mud monster.
Swapping sleeping bags for beds and duvets kept me well rested and ready for all the action.
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If the line-up was not the main draw, the festival also offered alternative activities. Spoken-word performances, circus school and various craft shops were the perfect way to wile away the hours between sets.
Saturday daytime was spent in Old Mout Cider’s Kiwi Camp. This has been a feature of the festival circuit for the last few summers. Festivals are known for their free-spirited hippy ideals but the waste generated by such huge events is at odds with this.
Kiwi Camp aims to teach festival attendees about sustainability in a fun accessible way. Can crushing, eco glitter station and upcycling clothing were just some of the activities on offer.
Not to mention the most bonkers crossover – disco yoga. If you haven’t done the downward dog to the sounds of Marvin Gaye then I’m not sure you’ve really lived.
Although the majority of the activities were free, many included a donation to WWF as part of Old Mout’s mission to protect animal environments.
Cider with a conscience – now that is something I can get on board with.
Festivals need to have three elements to get my seal of approval: A quality line up, daytime activities and a good crowd – the Isle of Wight rocked all three.
Although I’ve finally got the glitter and mud out of my clothes, the songs are still in my head, which just shows the organisers know exactly what they are doing. Bring on 2020.
