Isle Of Wight Festival Provides Massive Economic Boost, See 2009 Photos Now

The Isle of Wight festival provides a £15million boost to the local economy, a local councillor has said.

The event, of which the most recent staging took place at Seaclose Park, Newport over the weekend, has also helped reinvigorate the island's image.

"The festival is hugely important to the island, especially to Newport,” John Metcalfe, the Isle of Wight Council's assistant director for economic development and tourism told the BBC.

"We estimate it is worth at least £10m spent in the Newport shops, and that is just from people from off the island visiting for the festival.

"If we put on top of that the money spent by the organisers with island businesses and organisations it is worth at least £15m to the island's economy.”

The Isle of Wight festival was reintroduced in 2001 and this year featured headlining performances from the likes of The Prodigy and Basement Jaxx.

Other performances came courtesy of The Pixies, Neil Young and Razorlight.

You can see highlights from the festival on Gigwise below.

Isle of Wight 2009