The Isle of Wight festival, possibly the greatest ever

The Isle of Wight festival arguably has the most admirable pedigree of all surviving festivals that the world has seen since the 1960s. Which is, incredibly, when this remarkable rock and pop music festival began. It has played host to the ultimate pantheon of pop and rock stars – and by that we mean the Hendrixes of the world. You’ll struggle to find a more desirable event among music fans old and young than when you buy or sell Isle of Wight tickets on StubHub.

A live music pedigree that verges on fantastic

The first Isle of Wight festival was inaugurated in 1960 by no less an emerging legend than Bob Dylan. However, it was the second iteration of the event that would have been enough to secure itself a place in music history all on its own, even if it was the last one that was ever held. It rivalled Woodstock at the time, and by rivalled we mean it attracted a bigger crowd over the days it was held than the iconic American festival. At the time it was described in gasping terms as one of the largest gatherings of humans that the planet had ever witnessed. An estimated crowd of over 600,000 music fans made the trip across to the island. And boy, were they rewarded for their efforts! The line-up was worth a trip from the moon for a rock fan, with a bill that featured an unbelievable list of performers, from Jimi Hendrix to Miles Davis to The Who, Leonard Cohen, Jethro Tull and The Moody Blues. It's hard to imagine a more illustrious procession of artists to have trodden the same stage at the same event. And don't think that the quality has let up at all over the decades. Isle of Wight tickets have delivered on this legacy ever since.

Evolving into post-punk and electronica

The Isle of Wight festival isn't only about classic rock and folk music any more, of course, although there's been no shortage of that sort of artist over the decades. Because the event attracts the biggest bands of all, it's remained one of the most popular on the UK and international festival calendars and is a truly international event, drawing fans from all over the world eager to have their own experience of this live music institution. They've been rewarded with fiery post-punk performances from bands like Manic Street Preachers and the world-dominating synth pop and electronic dance of Depeche Mode. It's not all about highbrow seminal bands, however: there's always been plenty of room for sheer pop music enjoyment, and the main stage has thus seen the likes of the super-fun ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again entertaining huge crowds as headliners. Don't miss out this year – get your Isle of Wight tickets on StubHub as soon as you can.