Singer-songwriter Alessi Rose performs on a large outdoor festival stage, dressed in a short white lace dress with white ankle socks. She stands centre stage holding a microphone, with a vivid backdrop screen displaying psychedelic stained-glass-style artwork featuring abstract figures in purple, teal and red tones. A drum kit bearing the initials "AR" in ornate script is visible behind her, along with a guitarist partially visible on the left.
A long-haired male performer in a white ruffled shirt, black waistcoat and trousers holds a microphone and a red cloth on a purple-lit stage. Behind him, a drummer plays in the background, and a large screen displays the text "Real Dead Ringer – The Meat Loaf Show" alongside gothic artwork featuring a dramatic red sky and a snarling wolf.

While Thursday night might officially be the festival kick-off for those on the campsites, for us, Friday afternoon is the starting point. This year, it seemed a little later than previously, and we had a goal of catching 90s Northern Irish rockers, Ash, on the main stage just after 4 p.m.

We’ve always been very lucky with the shuttle bus to the festival site, rarely having to wait long in either direction. This afternoon, just after 3 p.m., the queue was snaking across the bus station, and we definitely wouldn’t make the first bus, so we got two of the handful of remaining seats on the next one. With the sunshine, I was glad I had a hat. There was a queue of traffic on the climb out of Wootton Bridge, which I feared would mean a crawl to the festival entrance, but we pretty much reached the speed you’d expect for a slightly old, borrowed-from-the-mainland bus full of festival-goers and a surprising amount of luggage.

Once again, I was impressed by the organisation on the way in: a quick bag search, a wristband connected, and the twenty-minute walk from the entrance to the main stage began. As always, the flags were fluttering, welcoming us. Almost immediately, we noticed a new venue, The Last Chance Saloon, opposite the Electro Love tent. Country and folk music are definitely growing in popularity.

First stop: a tap to top up empty water bottles; second stop: a photo with the festival sign; third stop: the bar for a pint, making sure we used the PayPal debit card to secure the 20% off food and drink. Over the weekend, I imagine the savings will add up. There was a big turnout for Ash. I didn’t think I was familiar with their work, but, surprisingly, I discovered Shining Light and Girl From Mars, which burst that theory. Also, a cover of Jump in the Line seems to be one of their live performance standards and was perfect for getting the crowd singing along. It’s a strange cover and seemed a little out of context initially, but by the end, I was singing along with everybody else.

We stayed around for Alessi Rose, a Derby-born English pop songstress who seems to be on the up-and-coming list. It was a great pop set, and I thought she balanced the idea that a lot of the crowd wouldn’t know who she was very well. She’s got a lot of youthful energy and managed to build a connection with the crowd. First Original Thought is already on my playlist.

The trek back to Electro Love is long, but sometimes necessary. A couple of years ago, we caught ‘Real Dead Ringer’, a Meat Loaf tribute act, and they were fantastic, so we were determined not to miss them this year. It was a very energetic performance, which must have been hard work in the tent. Another set of all the biggest hits, including Dead Ringer, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, Dead Ringer for Love, and I’d Do Anything for Love, was over too quickly, although it was nice to escape the heat of the tent and wander back to the main stage.

Before the walk, a pit stop for dinner from a Mexican food truck. The caramelised aubergine burrito I had was flavour-packed and delicious. I am just glad I picked up a fork, because it would have been impossible to eat otherwise. My festival seat, really a mushroom-shaped stool, has been a real bonus, allowing me to rest and keep my feet from hurting too much. And I don’t need to try to sit on the floor.

Wet Leg were already on stage by the time we’d walked back. They are considered a local band, as some band members have lived on the island and are products of the local Platform One College of Music. I knew none of the songs until Chaise Longue was performed. We managed to get a decent position about halfway back in the standing area, but they used a lot of stage smoke, so I ended up watching the screens just to see the band. Obviously, there was a lot of support from the crowd, which created a great atmosphere.

As that was finishing, we made an exit to the ‘This Feeling’ tent to see Finn Forster, another up-and-coming British performer. The set was really good. He’s a confident performer, and it was well worth the little detour to a stage we don’t often visit.

Then it was the Friday headliner and BRIT Award winner, Lewis Capaldi. There was quite a crowd, and we watched from quite a way back in a little bit of space we’d carved out near the bar. The crowd was definitely up for a show, and by his own admission, there were a lot of ballads, but nobody was bothered. After about half an hour, though, we decided that it would look even better on Sky Arts later and opted for the bus.