Snow Patrol Makes The Wight Choice

The U.K.’s biggest album-selling act of 2006 has chosen the 55,000-capacity Isle of Wight Festival as one of the major British outdoors it will headline this year.

All the tickets had gone a couple of weeks ago and John Giddings, who resurrected the old festival when Glastonbury took a year off in 2001, has seen it grow from what was originally perceived as a 30,000-capacity stop-gap one-off to one of the U.K.’s top festivals.

"Even though this year’s sold out faster than before, I’m not going beyond 55,000 because more people create more problems and we have a manageable event here with a relaxed atmosphere. I want to keep it that way," Giddings told Pollstar.

He brushed aside recent stories in The Sun and The Independent that said The Rolling Stones were rumored to be headlining the last night.

"I wish," he said, although he’s more than happy with the acts that he’s already booked and there are still more names to be announced.

Muse is the other headliner confirmed for the three-day (June 8-10) event at Seaclose, with Keane, Kasabian, The Fratellis, The Feeling, Paolo Nutini, Ash, Amy Winehouse, and James Morrison already announced.