FOR over a decade Kashmir Café has been a popular fixture at the Isle of Wight Festival, hosting hundreds of acts including Wheatus, Dodgy and John Otway.

The site has also provided a platform for local and independent musicians, with the main purpose of raising essential funds for Quay Arts through bar sales — something nullified by this year’s coronavirus enforced IW Festival cancellation.

Resourceful organisers of the stage have joined forces with their counterparts from the festival to deliver music accessible from home, which they hope will provide the centre with some support.

Six acts from past Kashmir Café line-ups have recorded special lockdown versions of their songs, with performances available to view tonight (Thursday) from 7pm on the Isle of Wight Festival’s Facebook page, alongside a button for viewers to donate.

The acts appearing are Plastic Mermaids, Jo-Jo & The Teeth, Doug Alldred & The Silver Lining, Jack Barnes, Holly Kirby & The Great Outdoors, and Oly Rivers from The Ohmz.

A Kashmir Café organiser said: “We’re gutted we can’t be at Seaclose Park this summer putting on fantastic music, selling great beer and supporting Quay Arts, so we’re really grateful to the Isle of Wight Festival for helping us replace some lost revenue by hosting our Lockdown Sessions.

"Arts organisations and artists are really struggling through this crisis, and helping (them) is a bonus — it’s really important to support our arts and culture through donating to organisations like Quay Arts if you can, and also by supporting the creative community.

"Helping struggling musicians by buying or downloading their work rather than just streaming it makes a huge difference to their revenue.”

People can view the special lockdown sessions video by visiting the Isle of Wight Festival’s Facebook page HERE from 7pm onwards this evening.