Although predominantly a rock music festival, a wide range of musical genres are accepted; in recent years pop acts have become ever more common. The "V" represents the Virgin Group, with the event being sponsored by Virgin Media and televised on Channel 4 and 4 Music.
Hylands House is a Grade II* neo-classical villa situated within Hylands Park a 232-hectare (574 acre) park south-west of Chelmsford in Essex in South East England. It is owned and operated by Chelmsford Borough Council. The last private owner lived in Hylands House until her death until 1962. It was in 1966, with the House in a desperate state of disrepair, that Chelmsford Borough Council purchased the Park for the people of Chelmsford to enjoy. Hylands Park was opened to the public only 10 days later. It was agreed by Chelmsford Borough Council that Hylands House should be restored to its former glory and having stood empty for 20 years, the first phase of restoration took place in 1986. The final stage was completed in 2005. Since 1996, the park has hosted the annual V Festival. In the 2004 film Chasing Liberty, Hylands House doubled as the US White House In 2005 Hylands Park was the venue for the European Scout Jamboree and in 2007 Hylands welcomed scouts from over 160 nations for the 21st World Scout Jamboree, which celebrated 100 years of scouting. The One World Garden was created to commemorate this historic event, and now forms part of the estate.
