The Isle of Wight Festival today reveals world superstar DJ, David Guetta and legendary New York hip hop group Run DMC will co-headline the Main Stage on Friday 9th June, They join Arcade Fire and Rod Stewart who will top the bill on Saturday and Sunday night. In addition, chart favourites George Ezra, Rag’n’Bone Man, Bastille and Jack Savoretti add to the most exciting line-up of the summer.
Giving the festival a massive injection of memorable hip-hop beats and electrifying electronic dance anthems, the two world famous acts will ensure a spectacular start to what is the first festival of the summer, ahead of a full weekend of live music and entertainment.
Run DMC’s Joseph Simmons said: “We absolutely love playing in the UK, it’s always such a great reception. You guys rock! To be given the chance to play such an iconic UK festival is huge and we’re really looking forward to it!”
Festival promoter John Giddings said: “The Isle of Wight Festival has always been known for its variety in music and this year is no different. To have the world’s first and most inspiring hip hop group headlining alongside one of the world's biggest electronic DJ’s is fantastic. I’m also really excited about George Ezra, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Bastille and Jack Savoretti. Again there’s something for everyone. I know the crowds at the festival are going wild for all the acts, not just the headliners.”
Run DMC are widely known as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture. They were the first rap group to be certified gold, to be certified platinum, to have a Top 10 single and feature on the cover of The Rolling Stone magazine. This year they also become the first rap group to receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Queens-bred group, comprised of Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons and the late Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell. Formed in 1981, the group have spent over three decades performing with the likes of the Beastie Boys and Aerosmith, and have gone on to sell over 230 million records worldwide.
David Guetta has played a pivotal role in turning dance music into the chart-topping juggernaut it is today. His impact has been impossible to ignore, or to underestimate. He can be considered among the elite group of super-producers whose sound is synonymous with an era – such as Trevor Horn, Rick Rubin or Dr Dre. Guetta has sold over nine million albums and 30 million singles worldwide and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music including; Sia, Akon, Kelly Rowland, Flo Rida, Rihanna, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Jessie J and Chris Brown.
George Ezra is an acclaimed English singer-songwriter and musician. His debut album, ‘Wanted On Voyage’, was released in June 2014 and featured the global hit single ‘Budapest’, which achieved platinum status in both the UK and the US, and a second UK top 10 single ‘Blame It On Me’. It was the third best-selling UK album of 2014, and in the top 20 best-selling UK albums of the decade so far, selling a total of 3 million albums worldwide. George Ezra has been nominated for four BRIT Awards, MTV Music Awards, Q Awards and the Ivor Novello Awards.
Neo-blues & soul singer Rory Graham, Rag‘n’Bone Man, is signed to Columbia Records. His debut single for Columbia, ‘Human’ dropped in July 2016 and was a huge hit in several European countries, topping the charts in Germany. Rag’n’Bone Man received this year’s BRITs Critics’ Choice Award, the award has continued to successfully highlight and identify future British recording talent before it happens.
Founded by singer-songwriter Dan Smith in 2010, British band Bastille topped the Official Albums Chart in 2013 with their debut LP ‘Bad Blood’, which includes the hit singles ‘Flaws’, ‘Pompeii’ and ‘Of The Night’. Their second album ‘Wild World’ repeated the former's success, also reaching Number One in the charts.
Former poet-turned-acoustic singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti, released his first single in 2006. Savoretti has gone on to release five studio albums, ‘Between The Minds’, ‘Harder Than Easy’, ‘Before The Storm’, ‘Written in Scars’ and ‘Sleep no more’