Isle of Wight Festival review: Justin Timberlake and Sting lead crowd pleasers

Over a sun-soaked four days, Isle of Wight Festival brought headliners including Sting, Stereophonics and Justin Timberlake, as well as support acts Faithless, The Script, Texas, Jess Glynne and more to Seaclose Park, Newport, last weekend. Blending nostalgia and fresh talent in scenic island surroundings, the festival pulls in a family-friendly crowd of all age.

Friday marked the festival’s first full day, with indie pop band The Lottery Winners kicking off proceedings on the Main Stage. Amy MacDonald followed, delighting fans with her hit ‘This Is the Life’. In the evening, The Corrs brought a wave of nostalgia, with timeless tracks like ‘Runaway’ and ‘Breathless’ setting the stage perfectly for Sting. The ex-Police frontman opened with ‘Message in a Bottle’ and followed with classics ‘Fields of Gold’, ‘Englishman in New York’, and ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’. Electronic legends Faithless closed the night on a euphoric high. Definitely one to remember! 

Saturday night saw The Script, one of my favourite bands, performing some of their biggest hits, including ‘Hall of Fame’, ‘Breakeven’ and ‘The Man Who Can’t be Moved’. A high point was when lead singer Danny O’Donoghue wove his way through the crowd to sing with some delighted fans.

The highlight of the night, however, belonged to Welsh rock band Stereophonics, who were returning to the festival for the first time in nine years. With a headline set packed with fan favourites ‘Dakota’, ‘Have A Nice Day’ and ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, they upheld every expectation. 

On Sunday, Olly Murs drew a large crowd, debuting his new song, the Madness-influenced ‘Save Me’, to be released in July. Next, he kept up the energy with hits ‘Dance with Me Tonight’ and ‘Wrapped Up’, before slowing down the pace with ‘Dear Darling’. In another weekend highlight, Texas’s Sharleen Spiteri got the crowd involved with ‘Inner Smile’ and ‘Say What You Want’. And a double-denim-clad Jess Glynne wowed fans with her soaring vocals on tracks like ‘Hold My Hand’ and ‘My Love’. 

But for me, the highlight of the final day was Justin Timberlake. “It’s my first time on the island,” he told the crowd. “It’s everything I thought it would be, and I’ve got a special place in my heart for the UK.” He went on to deliver a hit-packed set including ‘Mirrors’, ‘Rock Your Body’, ‘SexyBack’, and ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’, delivering a truly memorable performance before fireworks lit up the skies, bringing the festival to the perfect end.