Did you know that this year is the 25th Isle of Wight Festival?
Yes, it’s the 22nd Isle of Wight Festival since 2002 when John Giddings brought the Festival back to the Island, but there were three original Festivals in 1968, 1969 and 1970 – therefore 25 in total.
To celebrate this ‘Experience 25’, which highlights the three original festivals will be held at the Newport and Carisbrooke Council exhibition space at 64 High Street, Newport from June 3rd to July 29th.
Ray Foulk, (pictured above centre with John Giddings (L) and Brian Hinton from Dimbola) who organised the 1968, 1969 and 1970 festivals with his brothers, will be bringing some of his iconic archive to be part of the ‘Experience 25’ exhibition, featuring artists such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and The Doors Items from Dimbola Museum & Galleries, Freshwater Bay which brought the colourful exhibition that ran at Freshwater Bay last summer will be on show. These items feature the amazing artwork and artists from the past 22 years such as The Rolling Stones and David Bowie, along with new pieces that haven’t yet been seen.
This is the first time that an exhibition of all of the Isle of Wight Festivals will be seen in one place:
Ray Foulk said: “My family is delighted to contribute to this commemorative show with historic items and archives. It is with great pride that our embryonic rock festivals of more than half a century ago have been so successfully and splendidly revived. 22 years of visionary enterprise has guaranteed the Island’s formidable prowess in the wider world of contemporary music.”
John Giddings said: “The iconic Isle of Wight festival 1970 was the Woodstock of Europe, but the IW Council in their wisdom decided to ban it for 32 years in the form of an Act of Parliament – allowing others to pick up the baton…
They allowed us to restart it for the Queen’s jubilee, and it has gone from strength to strength – re-establishing this small island off the south coast of England as a worldwide brand.
Here is a celebration of the last 21 years, with the original 3 years added by kind courtesy of Ray Foulk, without whom it, it would not exist…And this year makes it the 25th – enjoy !!”
There is no entrance fee to the exhibition, but there will be a shop to raise money for Dimbola, which will be selling Isle of Wight Festival T Shirts and posters – including a new vintage line in clothing. Plus, there will be books that Ray Foulk has written about the 1969 and 1970 festivals – Stealing Dylan from Woodstock and The Last Great Event.
‘Experience 25’ is being staged at the exhibition venue of Newport and Carisbrooke Council at 64 High Street, Newport, with their kind permission. It will be open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday but also over the Isle of Wight Festival weekend (Saturday June 22nd and Sunday June 23rd) and some other Saturdays.