The Doors performed at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.
The band played the festival at Afton Down on August 30, 1970, during the event’s enormous third edition. Their set began at about 2 a.m., placing them among the festival’s late-night or early-morning performers alongside acts such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
The performance became especially notable because Jim Morrison did not want bright film spotlights aimed at the group. As a result, much of the surviving footage shows The Doors in near darkness, often illuminated mainly by a red light. Cold, windy weather also made the overnight appearance difficult.
A common mix-up is with the 1968 and 1969 Isle of Wight festivals. The Doors were not part of either earlier lineup. Their appearance was filmed by Murray Lerner and later issued in concert-film and album releases, including Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.