Isle of Wight Festival 2019: Bright costumes take centre stage ahead of George Ezra, Fat Boy Slim, KT Tunstall, Garbage and Bastille

This year, the theme of the festival is Summer of '69: Peace and Love. And Gail Anderson, from Gosport, and Helen Sanderson, from the Isle of Man, joined hundreds of others in the battle for the best costume.

Joined by pals Jo Hughes, from Towcester, and Lewis Clark from Fareham, the foursome dressed as ‘magic mushrooms’ with red and white hats and ‘fun gui’ slogan T-shirt’s.

Gail said: ‘We wanted to join with the theme and we thought magic mushrooms were big in the 60s and like it we wanted to make people happy.’

It is not the first time the group have been to the event. Lewis said: ‘This is my third year and we keep coming back because it is nice to meet up with friends now we live in different places.

‘I am really looking forward to Bastille and Hacienda Classical last night was amazing.’

Helen added: ‘I think it seems really chilled out and the staff are so friendly and they have really made it for me.’

Alex Morton, from Taunton, said as soon as he found out the theme was 1969, he knew what his costume was going to be.

The 25-year-old said: ‘We saw the theme was 1969 and instantly thought it was 50 years since moon landings, so that’s what inspired our outfit choices. 

‘The festival is a lot calmer than other ones I’ve been to but it’s nice and family friendly.

Acts set to entertain the crowds tonight include George Ezra, Fat Boy Slim, Garbage and Bastille. 

KT Tunstall has said it is 'really special' to be performing at the Isle of Wight festival after more than a decade since she was last on the bill.

The singer is one of the acts playing on the main stage on Saturday.

George Ezra is the headliner on Saturday, with Rick Astley, Bastille and Fatboy Slim also set to take to the main stage.

Tunstall told the Press Association: 'I think it was maybe 2008 when I last played here.

'It's a beautiful festival and I really like the British festivals that have a great rock-and-roll history of having legends playing on the main stages.

'The spirit from a festival like the Isle of Wightis exactly what I want from a festival.'

The theme for this year's event is Summer of '69: Peace and Love, as it marks 50 years since Bob Dylan headlined in 1969, singing to an audience estimated to number 200,000 people.

'Can you imagine a young Bob Dylan?' said Tunstall. 'It blows my mind and I'm kind of pissed off I was born about 20 years later.

'Imagine hearing Blowin' In The Wind and Tangled Up In Blue as new songs.'

Tunstall, 43, shot to fame in 2004 with her debut album Eye To The Telescope, which included hits such as Suddenly I See and Big Black Horse And The Cherry Tree, and she released her sixth studio album WAX in late 2018.

After thunderstorms and rain hit the festival on Thursday, the weather had eased with spells of sunshine on the island on Friday before more rain fell in the early hours and mid morning of Saturday.

Among the guests in the crowds on Friday, actor Jack O'Connell from Skins was spotted having a drink backstage, as were TV presenters Lorraine Kelly, Fiona Bruce and Susannah Constantine.

Sunday's line-up on the Isle of Wight will include Madness, Jess Glynne and former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft, before concluding with headliners Biffy Clyro, whose set festival organiser John Giddings has said people will be able to 'see from the moon'.