UK Fests Get Into Gear

IOW chief John Giddings says he felt the festival was the “most successful ever” with over 50,000 people per day and warm weather throughout.

It was certainly a festival that captured the peaceful spirit of the original IOWs that ran 1968-72.

“Crime is down as the temperatures are up. There have been fewer crimes in all areas. So far the event plan and policing operation has been successful with one day still to go,” a spokesman for Hampshire police told The Guardian. 

Apart from what he described as “epic performances” from bill-toppers such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings Of Leon, and Biffy Clyro, Giddings believes the other acts spread across five stages and the sundry attractions dotted around the site also make important contributions to the IOW weekend.

This year they included a display by the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, which had the crowd looking above the stage as well as looking at it.

At press time it wasn’t possible to get attendance figures from Download, the annual heavy rock bash Live Nation runs at Donington Park in Leicestershire, but the fans certainly seemed to enjoy themselves.

“Still up to my knees in happy campers who don’t seem to want to go home,” LN UK chief ops officer John Probyn told Pollstar, describing this year’s festival as “absolutely brilliant.”

The acts at Download June 13-15 included Slipknot, Bullet for My Valentine, Korn, Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age, Motörhead, Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Gaslight Anthem, and Stone Sour.

The supporting lineup at IOW June 12-16 included Suede, Fall Out Boy, Katy B, Tom Odell, The Pretty Reckless, Anna Calvi, and Calvin Harris.