FIFTY years to the day since Bob Dylan graced the stage at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival of Music, the celebratory Million Dollar Bash’s artists will strut their stuff on a replica structure.

The one-day festival, on Saturday, August 31, at the County Showground, near Cowes, honours the anniversary of Dylan’s legendary event.

Back then, one of the promoters, Bill Foulk, used the skills he had acquired at the London College of Art to construct a stage based firmly on classical Greek architecture.

The Palladian-style stage had more than a whiff of the Parthenon about it and Bill’s brother and co-promoter Ray Foulk recalled: “Bill made a trip to Pinewood Studios to rent props to adorn the Grecian pediment stage.”

Now the Island group behind the bash, All Wight Now, is aiming to recreate the stage.

All Wight Now chairman Jonathan Bacon said: “The 1969 festival had a special stage with classical Greek influences. We want to pay tribute to that stage — as well, of course, as all the great music on offer.”

The job of recreating the look of the stage has been passed to Ellie Moore, who was site decoration manager for Isle of Wight Pride 2018.

She said: "We very much want to create something of a replica. It was Greek-themed and Parthenon-esque. It will have those Palladian influences and adornments and similar colour themes of white, blue and yellow.

“And just like the 1969 festival, we will be leaving it up until the eleventh hour to finish the thing.

"I hope the audience approves and if there are any old hippies who saw the original, back in the day, I am sure they will recognise the inspiration behind the 2019 version.”

The stage will certainly look familiar to several performers who are returning, having featured alongside Dylan on the 1969 bill. Coming back are Julie Felix, Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle, plus Dick Taylor and Phil May from The Pretty Things and Andy Roberts, who played with The Liverpool Scene.

At the top of the bill is special guest Richard Thompson and Dylancentric, put together especially for the event by Thompson’s former Fairport Convention bandmate Ashley Hutchings, plus rockers Wishbone Ash, celebrating their own 50th anniversary this year.

Tickets are available from allwightnow.com or discounted hard-copy tickets are available from Dimbola Galleries and Museum, Freshwater, and That 60’s Place, Cowes.

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