The announcement was made at the launch of Experience 25, an exhibition celebrating the festival’s entire history, held at London’s O2.
Fans were able to vote from a long list of previous Isle of Wight Festival performances on the festival’s official socials. Bowie topped a number of other iconic moments, including Joni Mitchell silencing a 500,000 strong crowd and Amy Winehouse joining The Rolling Stones onstage in 2007.
John Giddings, the festival’s organiser recalled “It was during the Euros and I’d decided to put France versus England on the main screens. When I went to collect David from the dressing room it was 1 – 0 to England. By the time we’d gotten to the stage it was 2 – 1 to France, so he walked on to a silent crowd. I tell you, if it was anybody else they would have died completely but he came on, opened with “Rebel Rebel” and the rest is history”.
The Isle of Wight Festival Magic Moments top 5 were as follows:
5) Andrea Corr & Gary Kemp performing Starman in tribute to David Bowie to a crowd of thousands wearing masks with his face on (2016)
4) The Rolling Stones playing their first UK festival since 1976 and being joined on stage by Amy Winehouse for an iconic performance of Ain’t too Proud to Beg (2007)
3) Jimi Hendrix last ever UK Performance (1970)
2) Fleetwood Mac one of their first shows as a full band since the late 90s (2015)
1) David Bowie’s last ever UK performance (2004)
In a speech by John Giddings at the launch, he also explained “In 07 I came up with the idea of putting Amy Winehouse onstage with The Rolling Stones. I thought the hardest bit would be to get Mick Jagger to let Amy up there. So I went to him and he jumped at the opportunity… but then I went to Amy who said she could never do it; she was too nervous! It took me about half an hour to persuade her to do it but when you see the result of it… it was amazing”
Photo credit: Isle of Wight County Press
