The Isle of Wight Festival launches nationwide band search

Unsigned acts wanting to perform at this summer's Isle of Wight Festival could get the opportunity as the event launches the Isle of Wight Festival Unsigned competition.

From today, the festival is giving unsigned artists from the UK & Ireland, over the age of 18, the chance to apply online by submitting an original song of their choice through the festival’s website. A team of music industry experts will whittle down the entries with the finalists performing at the Half Moon in London on March 29th. A live judging panel led by festival organiser, John Giddings, will decide the winner who will also receive the chance to record at the Skinny Mammoth studio on the Isle of Wight.

Those wishing for an opportunity to play the event should go to the festival's website, (here), follow the instructions and upload their favourite track to be listened to.

John Giddings, the Festival promoter, said, "We are first and foremost a music festival. A celebration of music from the past, present and future and it's great to give up and coming musicians an opportunity to showcase in front of the Isle of Wight Festival audience. Wouldn't it be great for one of them to headline one day!"

This is the chance to join the Isle of Wight Festival line-up at Newport's Seaclose Park from Thursday 9th until Sunday 12th June 2016 co-headlined by Stereophonics, and Faithless on Friday, while the Sunday headliner is Queen with Adam Lambert, while elsewhere there's 40 years of punk with Iggy Pop, Adam Ant, The Damned, Buzzcocks, The Cribs, The Kills, Ocean Colour Scene, Status Quo, Mike & The Mechanics, The Godfathers, and The Sex Pissed Dolls, plus Sigma, Jess Glynne, Pendulum (DJ set), Everything Everything, Blossoms, Sunset Sons, Feeder, Cast, Reef, Turin Brakes, Alabama 3, Joanne Shaw Taylor, The Second Sons, The Corrs, Busted, Twin Atlantic, Half Moon Run, Gabrielle Aplin, The High Kings, Reverend And The Makers, The Wonder Stuff, Sixx Am, Lissie, The Family Rain, and Bjorn Tagemose silent film experience Gutterdammerung.

The Saturday headliners are yet to be announced, though organisers say they have been booked. Expect many more names to be announced for the festival's multiple stages.

For the line-up details as available see the Isle of Wight Music Festival line-up page.

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Tickets including booking fees are priced at £202.80 with camping, a student ticket is priced at £186.90, and a teen  (aged 13-17 years) ticket is priced at £155.20. Children aged 12 and under can attend free of charge, and a campervan ticket was priced at £120 (and have sold out). Tickets without camping will be available at a later date.