Experience 25 Launch Hailed A Huge Success

Twenty-five Isle of Wight Festivals were celebrated at the launch party of Experience 25.

The event saw Ray Foulk (organiser 1968-1970) and John Giddings (organiser from 2002 onwards), welcoming guests to the inaugural exhibition to celebrate all the Isle of Wight Festivals.

Brian Hinton, Chair of Dimbola, welcomed everyone and then Creative Director of Experience 25, Joanna Macaulay, launched the Facebook and Instagram pages for the exhibition.

“We’re really proud of the Festival, and what we’ve achieved,” said John Giddings.

“(Ray) created (the festival) in 1968, which I didn't go to; I didn't go to 1969 either; but was there in 1970.

"We had to walk from Newport to the far end of the Island, and to walk over that hill and see 600,000 people must have been like going to the Somme or something!

“We did this (Experience exhibition) at Dimbola and it was successful and we've made it twice the size here, and Ray has participated, which is fantastic - thank you very much Ray."

Ray Foulk added:

"The festival now is better in so many respects - more complex; broader; a lot more going on; they're wonderfully organised and the audience is different.

“Back in the day people weren't coming so much for entertainment; they were on a pilgrimage, and it was part of the counterculture where people were thinking in terms of making the world a better place.

"People will remember there was a huge battle in 1970 to get that festival on - with all of the establishment trying to stop it, headed by the member of parliament.

"Councillor Mimms compared it with Auschwitz, saying the only difference was that you didn't have the dead bodies!”

Experience 25 is based at 64 High Street in Newport, free to enter and will be open until 29 July.

The exhibition is open between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday but also over the Isle of Wight Festival weekend (Saturday June 22 and Sunday June 23).