·       Absolute Radio, Greatest Hits Radio and Hits Radio celebrate this year’s festival with live performances and specials

·       Highlights include comedian Matt Lucas hosting a Pet Shop Boys documentary plus live sets from Crowded House, Keane and Simple Minds

Bauer Media Audio UK has announced that three of its much-loved brands will be bringing listeners all the action and excitement from the Isle of Wight Festival at Seaclose Park this weekend.

Absolute Radio, Greatest Hits Radio and Hits Radio will be bringing live performances, interviews and other highlights from the festival to their combined audiences of nearly 13million listeners* across the weekend and into next week.

Headliners this year include The Prodigy, Pet Shop Boys and – in a UK festival exclusive – Green Day. These huge names lead an incredible line-up featuring The Streets, Keane, Simple Minds, Beverley Knight, Zara Larsson, McFly, Feeder, Cian Ducrot and many more.

Absolute Radio leads the comprehensive coverage, kicking off this Thursday night with a Pet Shop Boys documentary hosted by Matt Lucas. ‘Pet Shop Boys – A Celebration’ will air on Absolute Radio at 9pm, ahead of the epic weekend, with the chance to listen again on Greatest Hits Radio on Sunday afternoon at 4pm.

Absolute Radio’s Ben Burrell and Sarah Champion will be broadcasting live backstage with shows on Friday from 7pm, Saturday from 6pm and Sunday from 5pm. Their shows will include live performances from Crowded House, Blossoms, Keane, Simple Minds and Nothing but Thieves as well as extended highlights of sets from Suede, The Pretenders, Johnny Marr, headliners The Prodigy and many more.

Both Absolute Radio and Hits Radio have been offering listeners a chance to win tickets to the festival in the run-up to the event.

In addition to the Pet Shop Boys documentary this Sunday, Greatest Hits Radio South Coast’s Rick Jackson will be bringing the biggest event of the South to the whole of the UK when he joins Richard Allinson and Kate Thornton on their Saturday shows (from 10am and 1pm) and Rick will be with Richard again on the Sunday with even more festival news from 10am.

And for those who miss out at the weekend – or want to relive festival highlights once again –  Jackie Brambles will be sharing all the best bits on her Greatest Hits Radio show the week after (Monday – Thursday from 7pm).

And it doesn’t stop there with more exclusive interviews and content across all of the station’s social channels as well.

Gary Stein, Director of Audio for Bauer Media Audio UK said, ‘The Isle of Wight Festival is one of the year’s most anticipated live music events, and we are thrilled to immerse our listeners in the experience, whether it be winning their way into the event or making them feel like they are there, as we bring their favourite artists to their radio, smart speaker and phone.’