This year’s Jack Up Summer Party will be the last – for now at least – as organisers confirm they are taking a step back after a 10-year run, blaming an ‘oversaturated’ festival market. Launched in 2013 as ‘Jack up the 80s’, the annual festival grew into something much bigger and transformed into simply ‘Jack Up’, covering music of all the decades – and many top names appeared on the various stages. In recent years, since the COVID pandemic, the event has been scaled back to a more intimate ‘Jack up Summer Party’, held at Retro Vacations in Ashey, with a focus on tribute acts. Although Sarah Moss and Alex Dyke say they are taking a break on their festival journey, they’ve promised that everything is in place for next month’s event to be a fitting celebration to make the end of a decade of Jack Up. An oversaturated festival market on the Isle of Wight has been blamed for the demise of the festival, alongside ‘choppy post-pandemic waters’. It’s said that overall the festival landscape has become ‘challenging’. 
“We never imagined that what was originally intended to be a one-off celebration of the 1980’s back in 2013, would capture the hearts of so many and we would like to thank all of our loyal attendees for coming on this trip down memory lane with us, which has seen many twists, turns and adaptations along the way. “This decision, though difficult, feels right as we embrace new opportunities, which we’re thrilled to say will include many more exciting outdoor events at our glamping site, Retro Staycations in Ryde, along with the various theatre shows and tours we’re currently working on, all of which will continue to embrace the spirit of Jack Up by celebrating the good times. “So if you’ve enjoyed Jack Up or are thinking of supporting us or any homegrown independent event or festival this year, now more than ever is the time to do so”.
This year’s event – the final Jack Up – will be held on Saturday 10th/Sunday 11th August at Ashey, on the outskirts of Ryde. 
Prepare to be blown away by a diverse array of talent, including special guest artist Nathan Moore of 80’s pop band Brother Beyond and a stand-out performance by The Princes of Motown, a fast-paced, contemporary, adrenaline-fuelled show dedicated to all the smash hit-selling Motown groups. The stage will come alive with world-class tribute acts paying homage to music legends such as Take That, Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie, McBusted, Steps, Tina Turner, John Lennon, Bruno Mars, and Ariana Grande. Tickets are available at https://www.jackupevents.co.uk/.
