Isle of Wight Festival 2008

The Isle of Wight Festival burst into the heart of the Island's capital town this year with another eclectic mix of top name acts, bars, funfair rides and attractions. 55,000 people flocked to Seaclose Park to be part of the first UK festival of the summer season and the tenth Isle of Wight Festival since its incarnation in 1968.

Punk icons fuel the festivities with their crazy stage antics

Friday headliners the Kaiser Chiefs set the standard for an exhilarating weekend delivering a solid high-energy performance which appealed to an audience of all-ages. Hits such as 'I Predict a Riot,' 'Modern Way,' 'Everything is Average Nowadays' and former number 1 single 'Ruby' led to euphoria amongst crowds on the opening night. Previous to this, Brit-Award winner KT Tunstall led fans in a 'mass body-pop' with quirky offbeat favourites The Hoosiers and rock quartet The Answer kick starting the proceedings. For indie rockers The Wombats the festival was their biggest show to date and they were full of praise for the idyllic family vibe conveyed across the site.

On Saturday the biggest selling British female artist of 2007 delighted crowds as they relaxed in the morning sunshine. Scottish singer/songwriter Amy MacDonald belted out a string of well-known hits from her debut album 'This is the Life' including several cover versions from influential bands such as the Killers.

Queen of cockney Kate Nash, The Cribs and The Enemy brightened the afternoon and paved the way for outstanding performances by Liverpudillian chart-toppers The Zutons and legendary high-energy entertainers Iggy and The Stooges. Staying true to his highly unpredictable and daring reputation, Iggy Pop enraptured audience members by climbing down off the stage into the crowd, dousing himself in water and colliding with a set of amplifiers, knocking them to the ground.

More patriotism please, we're British!

Bursting onto stage to the sound of Vera Lynn's 'They'll Always be an England,' controversial punk icons the Sex Pistols brought Saturday evening to a furious close with a truly memorable performance. Their legendary hits including 'God Save the Queen' and 'Anarchy in the UK' sounded as revolutionary today as they were back in the 1970's. Leading the audience in a verse of 'I do like to be beside the seaside,' frontman John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), dressed in grandfather nightshirt and tartan trousers, inspired plenty of attitude with his tongue-in-cheek remarks and ensured a raucous impact by abusing the crowd for being too quiet and lacking in patriotism.

Moving away from the punk era, Sunday's line-up had a more contemporary feel to it. For Southampton-based band the Delays, the Isle of Wight was a stopping off point before embarking upon tour dates in Mexico and Japan. Scouting for Girls got the crowd on their feet on Sunday afternoon with pop anthems 'She's so Lovely,' 'Elvis Ain't Dead' and their current UK single 'Heartbeat.' Delighted to have been a part of this year's line-up, they concluded that the Isle of Wight has it's own folk law and unique flavour thanks to its history of world-renowned music festivals.

Festival favourites Starsailor took to the stage for the forth time in seven years on Sunday afternoon paving the way for Manchester pop/folk band James who managed to sneak a group of fans back stage to accompany them during their final number 'Laid.'

Every little thing they did was magic

Southern rockers The Kooks have come a long way since their first performance on the Island back in 2006 and now appearing further up the bill, provided the ideal warm-up act for Sunday headliners The Police.

As one of their last ever appearances in the UK of their reunion tour, it was front man Sting's first ever visit to the Isle of Wight. The band rolled back the clock to their 9-year career during the 1980's performing favourites such as 'Don't Stand So Close To Me,' 'Walking On The Moon,' 'Message In A Bottle,' 'Roxanne' and 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.'

The Police built-up a fantastic rapport with the audience in the main arena, who come Sunday night swelled in size to equate to half of the population of the Isle of Wight! Everyone was keen to witness the unique spectacle of this legendary band who have sold more than 50 million albums, earning themselves a place in the musical history books. The rock trio finally brought the curtain down and ended their set with the highly acclaimed 'Every Breath You Take.'

As jubilant but weary festival-goers departed the arena they were treated as always to a superb firework display which illuminated the skies above Newport and provided the ultimate climax to this year's proceedings.

So much to see and do, besides the music

Breaking with tradition, for the first time this year festival-goers were offered an alternative to the main stage in the form of a big top. Situated in Strawberry Fields; a hive of activity neighbouring the main arena, the big top played host to popular artists such as the Stranglers, Feeder and the Stone Gods (featuring former members of former humorous rock band The Darkness).

On Saturday evening pop trio the Sugbabes played 45mins of popular tunes to a packed crowd, with an estimated 5000 people inside the Big Top and the same number outside trying to catch a glimpse of the successful girl group. During the day Singing Chef Andy Lo Russo combined opera, swing and classic material with creative cookery, alongside performances from the Gundogs and Island-based group Jackson Analogue to name but a few.

Strawberry Fields was also the central location for a huge array of additional food stalls catering for every conceivable taste and a series of retail outlets selling everything from clothes to jewellery and musical instruments. In addition to the festivals new major sponsor BT, hosts of the official Chill Out zone, other sponsors included Ray-Ban eyewear and Rimmel London who provided a London bus and series of 'make-over' telephone boxes in the middle of Strawberry Fields. The Guitar Hero Legends of Rock computer game also featured heavily throughout the weekend with top contenders winning the opportunity to perform on the main stage in-between acts.

Parents were able to relax in the knowledge that their youngsters were being well looked after and entertained in KidsZone, where face-painting and circus-skill activities were the name of the game. An authentic Indian-styled tent positioned just seconds away from the hustle and bustle of KidsZone allowed adults to kick off their shoes and unwind whereas the Island-based Hipshaker Lounge offered a more vibrant atmosphere featuring iconic 60's music, imagery and furniture.

Staff from the council's Carnival Learning Centre could be seen parading around Strawberry Fields in some fantastic costumes to promote Adult Learners Week and the council also housed its very own Eco Island tent which boasted some if the best in local delicacies.

A nationally acclaimed event with a very local focus

The Platform One Bandstand returned to the festival for a third consecutive year to showcase the best in new Island talent. Over 50 original acts were given the exclusive opportunity to perform during the three-day event with one group, Proximity Effect, playing on the main Isle of Wight Festival stage following their win at the recently held Wight Noize competition.

As well as celebrating the best in local Island talent, festival organisers were also keen to support local produce and Island businesses. The event as always, was a fantastic advert for the garden Isle attracting media coverage from right across the country, including nightly television screenings of the days highlights on ITV2.

Visitors to the festival gave generously to local charities and representatives from the Earl Mountbatten Hospice were once again present with their ever-popular sunflowers. In total 60,000 sunflowers were sold, raising a staggering £50,000 for this favourite Island cause. Battery operated wands sold on behalf of the St Mary's Hospital Barely Born Appeal could be seen brightening up the night sky with thanks going to residents in Fairlee Road who gave up their driveways for the weekend to allow the fundraisers to promote their wares.

Festival organisers push the power of green

Keeping in line with the Island's Eco-Island vision, the site appeared much cleaner this year as festival-goers were encouraged to 'go green' and either take their litter home with them or deposit it into the relevant recycling bins. A 10p incentive was given for every Carling Cup collected and returned to the 'cup return point' - this certainly gave the youngsters something to do with some earning themselves as much as £60 during the weekend!

As the stage is dismantled and our thoughts turn to who might be on the bill for next year's festival, several Scout associations on the Island have been drafted in to help out with the big clean-up. Any camping equipment left will be packed up and sent out to Burma for those in need of shelter. Incredibly nearly 800 cans of unopened beer have already been recovered and it is hoped that these can be re-sold with all the proceeds going to charity.

To re-live memories of this year's festival or to see what you missed, please visit our exclusive online gallery which contains aerial images of the site, photographs of the artists on stage and much more besides.

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