The organiser of the Isle of Wight Festival has revealed his plans to welcome a reduced capacity of 50,000 people to this years event – which will see a line-up consisting mainly of UK acts.
Music industry legend, John Giddings, also told Access All Areas that ticket sales for the event – which last year saw its first cancellation since its resurrection in 2002 due to the coronavirus crisis – have been strong since the announcement of its move to September.
Tens of thousands of revellers will travel to the Island on the 16th September this year after coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased.
Speaking to Access All Areas and on the subject of the date change, John Giddings said:
“I wanted it three months later because didn’t want to be the guinea pig – the first show out. We’ve always been the first show of the season, we are now going to be the last show of the season.”
This years original line-up was set to see renowned acts such as Snow Patrol, Duran Duran and Lionel Richie take to the stage – and in a controversial move, take-two of Jess Glynne’s performance after her main stage jilting of 2019.
According to John, the list of expected artists is likely to change:
“We will refresh the line-up. We’re talking to everybody concerned because they’re not necessarily all available in September but if anybody can’t make it we will re invite them to perform at the event in June next year.
“The good news is that there are British bands out there desperate to play and entertain people. It is going to be the great British music festival.”
The promoter added that the safety of its artists, staff, and patrons will be paramount to the event’s success, adding:
“We are going to have a really robust Covid plan in place. We have experts dealing with those issues. I don’t want to be responsible for a fourth wave.”
Robust covid plan – how the are you going to do that in a crowd of 50,000. Idiocy at the highest level here. A lot of other large event organisers have cancelled for this year here on the island. Well Mr Giddings I’m sure you will be responsible for the 4th wave here. Well done in advance.
I think quite a few agree with me here….
If you think most will agree to you comment you must live in cuckoo land, get real this is another wave waiting to happen with that amount of people.
The well done in advance was meant to be sarcastic.
So Boris is predicting a third wave, and this “legend”, or is it ” leg- end”, wants to flood the island with 50,000 , madness, ( not the band Madness), comes to mind. But he’s probably short of a few bob and needs the work.
Medical experts are now predicting a Third Wave of the Covid virus (As is happening in Europe ) within the Summer months, cannot see that the IOW festival will help , at least the decision made by Glastonbury was sensible .
Really so your keep yourself and stuff safe but what about the other 50 00 people..ill be selling my tickets thank you
I’m gonna give it a miss this year Bob.
Hardly a great reduction on previous years based on past estimates here…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Wight_Festival
4th lockdown incoming then, thanks for that.
Cancel till next year at least we dont want to put NHS under pressure on island
The NHS are getting a payrise , so i expect the UK Government might expect them to try a bit harder to keep up with the corona next time.
LOL 50K from what I’ve seen he hasn’t managed that number in the past 3 years talk about hype. Leeds Festival has been cancelled my money is on this being cancelled too plus no mention of who will be performing.
So depressing reading these comments, negativity surrounds us.
Just have to suck it up I guess.
Correction Trueblue, DEATH surrounds us if this goes ahead!
Wait until a REAL pandemic engulfs us Val
Legend? Maybe in his own fried mind..he has no conscious thought of others for sure
Again another case of profit before people. Never liked Giddings, always considered him a bit of a knob. Now I know he’s a major one. 50,000 people having too much booze, pharmaceuticals and licking each others faces. Got disaster written all over it !
Hes bought a new F Type Jaguar motor car, bloody lovely they are.
You forgot to mention them throwing cups of wee through the air and peeing through the perimeter fences.
Yet again a selfish person is looking to line his pocket at the expense of the health and safety of people who live on our beautiful island. We have a council with no backbone who should be stopping this festival going ahead but instead they are not taking their responsibilities seriously and turning a blind eye. Is somebody making it worth their while to do so?
All he cares about is money. sod the NHS and peoples lives. Yes most the U.K would of had the Covid jab. But we cant go abroad but can go on a bender for the weekend on the Isle of Wight. Cos the Legend says so.
There are some cracking pubs here though. Best fill our boots before September, then get ready to hibernate over Xmas and New year again. Buy some shares in Ocado food delivery.
Irresponsible to let the festival to go ahead unless once they are on site they cannot leave the site so that’s not going to happen. So Giddens you alone will be culpable for the rise in deaths are you willing to take this responsibility for any repercussions on you. Surely people can go without the festival for this year
All mass crowd events should be banned until at least next year.
Especially after September.
I think the Government should decide if this should be allowed and according to the latest news I would not be so sure it will,
You got a point Mary. France has definitely cancelled the Paris baguette fest in July. I’m gutted the county show has been canned and that doesn’t even attract 50000 nippers getting smashed out of their heads in a field and tents. Hope Giddings knows what he’s doing ?
Hopefully this festival will not take place as its another case of I don’t care about keeping safe just making money
Giddings is just a greedy money grabbing fool look back at the Spanish flu outbreak 100 years ago took over 2 years to calm down and there was alot less travel and alot less population then this is a recipe for disaster and he won’t be paying for the following outbreak
Please don’t compare this to the Spanish Flu. Slightly different mortality rate
Lets not leave the greedy organisers to make the decision.
The council need to act , and if they do not have the power or the will to stop this extremely irresponsible venture then central government need to act.
50,000 people cannot be kept safe in this pandemic and to say that this is possible just ain’t credible. Ask any epidemiologist.
I hope that greed cannot be allowed to put residents at risk . Our population includes a high percentage of people in vulnerable groups.
I hope that our MP gets the message and raises the issue in the House.
This is just about as irresponsible as you can get. You should be ashamed of yourself John Giddings. All about money.
So basically anyone who had a ticket tied over from the last cancelled festival to see artists they wanted to.
Will turn up and possibly the line up could be anyone. Nice one Giddings!
No thanks…
I wouldn’t care if getting covid only affected the people who got it. But there are a lot of covidiots that have had loved ones die from it. They need to have a good long look in the mirror and ask if it was their selfish behaviour that spread the virus into their family and led to their elderly relative dying an early death.
Well if somebody dies as a result of an infection caught at this event, then corporate involutary manslaughter charges should be considered.
I totally agree, sadly Mr Giddins puts money before safety, he needs the threat of possible corporate involuntary manslaughter to concentrate his mind. His conscience appears to be non functioning. I thought he was an intelligent man, maybe I misjudged him.
If you do not want the Festival to take place this year, badger your councillors, write to the MP, start a petition, broadcast your views to make the authorities take notice
Let’s hope they social distance on the ferry and their made to eat and drink outside. I wonder how thick our local Mps envelope is for that one .Let’s hope the BHS remember the organisers face when he turns up with covid
I don’t know why everyone’s getting their knickers in a twist as this will never go ahead as plenty more variants are planned to keep us in lockdown for the rest of our lives.Remember no fun is allowed
Oh for fs, really !!
Prepare yourselves for another increase in Covid cases then.
As well as this event there are three smaller events scheduled during weekends in August at Sandown Airport.