Dimbola’s summer show is a celebration of 21 years of the Isle of Wight Festival since it was relaunched in 2002.

It will be the first retrospective exhibition of the Isle of Wight Festival that has featured artists such as David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Pink, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul McCartney, Blondie and more.

Experience – the Isle of Wight Festival 2002 to 2023 will feature photographs from all years of the festival, along with atmospheric crowd shots.

Festival boss John Giddings is clearing out his cupboards to bring a host of items to the exhibition, along with loaning photographs and footage since the festival began.

Dr Brian Hinton, chairman of Dimbola, has built an extensive archive too, and many of these items will also feature.

The exhibition is sponsored by Solo, Barclaycard, The Daisie Rich Trust, The Price is Wight, Wightlink, Briddlesford Farm, The Isle of Wight County Press, Signpost Express, Isle of Wight Distillery, Goddards Brewery and Wight Karting.

“If you had told me in 2002 that we would still be doing it in 21 years, I would have laughed...” said John Giddings.

“We managed to lose a million pounds in the first two years but broke even with The Who and David Bowie in 2004.

"Thankfully it has gone from strength-to-strength year after year and is now one of the top five UK festivals.

“I would never have done it if I hadn’t been there in 1970 - it was the Woodstock of Europe, bringing the Island to a standstill with 600,000 people watching Jimi Hendrix, and then getting banned for 32 years.

"Looking back on it, I think I had blind faith. People were talking behind my back
asking how can you have a festival on an Island you can only get to by boat.

"I believed that was one of the attractions. It is like going on holiday and has the most sunshine in the UK.“

This year, entertainer Robbie Williams will close the main stage on Sunday, The
Chemical Brothers and George Ezra are headlining Saturday and Pulp on Friday.

The exhibition at Dimbola will run from May 27 to September 17.

Limited edition prints and other merchandise will be available to purchase online and in
the museum shop.