


Another year, another Isle of Wight Festival! Today—well, the early afternoon—kicked off with a familiar pilgrimage: a quick pit stop at Sainsbury’s for the obligatory meal deal (mainly for the chilled water, as it was already feeling quite warm outside). Then it was onto the shuttle heading towards Seaclose Park. All sorts of different people, costumes, and an inflatable jungle scene. That was the mood express to the Festival Bus Station.
As with last year, entry was a breeze; they’ve really got it cracked (at least, if you come by bus). Wristband secured, signifying the ability to roam all weekend, we got searched for alcohol, and then the trek began. The long walk towards the main stages, with the flags fluttering in the breeze, feels familiar and, therefore, welcoming. We took the walk and pretty much decided to stick to the Main Stage end of the park today.
First order of the day was a beer. Though the ‘snake queue’ system at the bar felt a bit much for that time of day, there was but a handful of us. While I was waiting, the barman spotted some blood on my thumb. No idea where I’d cut myself, but he was brilliant and went off to grab an antiseptic wipe and a plaster; not sure if some health and safety protocol was broken, but he was great. It throbbed a bit for half an hour—nothing too serious, thankfully.
It turns out that the real gem of the day was the first act we saw: The Lottery Winners—funny and energetic. They knew how to connect with the crowd, managing to be both emotional and utterly engaging. After their brilliance, we decided to wander and got caught in a few unexpected minutes of light rain. We ducked under cover for a short time before we ended up watching a round of ‘sock wrestling’ on one of the alternative stages. Do they have that at Glastonbury?
Then, a more sedate beer by the river before we caught Sophie Grey on the River Stage. She had this fantastic 80s electro sound that felt current. I thought, “She’d be brilliant at a party!”—really good fun, but maybe not the response she’d have been looking for.
Next, it was Amy Macdonald on the main stage. I thought I’d know more of her songs, but still, she put on a solid performance. Her earpieces were a nice touch, featuring the Scottish flag. Apparently, it’s been 18 years since she last graced the IOW stage, which she declared a “once in a generation” event! We opted to stay a bit further back from the main stage, standing in the sun, until The Corrs came on. They certainly got the crowd moving, and while their set was upbeat, it didn’t quite grab me until their very last piece of Irish music. General consensus over the weekend, however, was that they were brilliant. So, what do I know?
Dinner was calling, so we braved the growing crowd, weaving our way through the packed seating area to The Octopus’s Garden. Paella time! Chicken and chorizo for me, seafood for PY. It was exactly as you’d imagine from a big pan on a festival site.
Finally, Sting took to the stage. We were quite a way back by this point, and my feet were past fighting for a better view. He played a lot of his old hits, which was nice, but it wasn’t exactly a set of ‘party bangers’ to get everyone dancing wildly. So, we made the executive decision to head for the bus. My preferred walking pace was definitely slower than the one we ended up adopting! A quick wait and then the ride back to Ryde. A necessary stop back at Sainsbury’s on Union Street for tomorrow’s lunch supplies.
Now, it’s the best part: back at the flat, sprawled on the sofa with a cup of tea, watching Faithless close out day one of the festival on the telly. Much more comfortable than still being out there.
Let’s see what tomorrow brings!