As the final two days of the Isle of Wight Festival draw to a close and people start to make their way home, I spent some time reflecting on what has been a hectic few days. One of the biggest factors that sets the tone for any UK festival is the weather and the Isle of Wight was lucky enough to be blessed with gorgeous sunshine for the last couple of days. It just makes everything so much easier when you are warm and dry! People made the most of this on Saturday and Sunday, spending time at the outdoor areas such as the revamped River Stage where I caught Australian sisters Germain delivering their set of joyous pop songs.
The crowds at the Main stage were pretty impressive as were the bands that I managed to catch, Natalie Imbruglia, Jessie J and Keane all put on stunning sets before Saturday headliners the Pet Shop Boys closed the main arena with a hit-heavy set that started with Suburbia and included favourites Opportunities, Left To My Own Devices, Domino Dancing and the classic West End Girls. Jessie J performing on the main stage on the Saturday of the IOW Festival (Image: Allan Jones) Away from the main stage, I made a point of taking in a set from local dance music heroes Collective States who wowed a large crowd at the Steelers Wheel stage, which perfectly complimented the set from Eurovision winner Loreen in the Big Top that I briefly dipped into. An early-ish start on the Sunday was well worth the effort as it meant catching Beverly Knight who has what was probabl.