The Insiders Guide To The Isle of Wight Festival 2019

The excitement is building for next weekend as the Isle of Wight Festival returns for its 51st year, with an incredible line up of music and entertainment across four days. But with so much going it’s hard to know how to prepare, so we’ve put together our own guide to the Festival to help you make the most of your festival experience.

Here are 5 top tips for making this year’s Isle of Wight Festival better than ever:

While we all want to be in the crowds for George Ezra, Biffy Clyro and the other headliners, don’t forget to explore the other amazing areas on site. Cirque de la Quirk return for another year of glitter, circus performers, workshops and incredible music performances – make sure you don’t miss it! The UK’s biggest promoter of emerging bands, This Feeling, will fill its tent with the ones to watch in the world of music, so be sure to check it out if you want to be the first to know about the next big thing. And who can resist a silent disco? When the bands finish, the Silent Disco King comes to life with two DJs playing head to head to get your attention with party classics and cheesy hits. There’s so much fun to be had away from the main stage, so head out there and explore!

Every year the festival has a different theme and this year it’s Summer of ’69 – Peace and Love. That means it’s time to don the blouses and bell-bottoms, cover yourself in peace signs and go retro. Anyone keen to win a prize for their fancy dress efforts should gather at 2.00pm on Saturday in Strawberry Fields, where one lucky person will be crowned the “King or Queen of Summer”. As well as a fancy dress competition, there will also be themed areas across the site, including Thursday’s musical tribute to Bob Dylan from the celebrated act Simply Dylan.

The Isle of Wight Festival 2019 app is now available to download for free on the App Store or Google Play and is a must for anyone attending the festival. Featuring the full line up, site maps and other handy info, it’s the only tool you need to plan your perfect weekend. You can even add performances to a personalised schedule so you don’t miss your favourite acts!

If you’re heading to the festival with little ones, the Kidzone is a no-brainer. With a huge variety of music, entertainment and workshops on offer, families are spoilt for choice. From mind-boggling tricks with Huxley Magic, crazy clown stunts with Wolly, an animal parade with the Shademakers and much more, you can pitch up on your picnic blanket and leave the rest to the performers. If you want to get stuck in, there are craft sessions, circus skills workshops, a dressing up tent with catwalk and face-painting – and that’s just the beginning. What’s more, with a designated Toddler Tent, the area is suitable for kids of all ages, so all families are welcome.

Following on from last year’s success, the Octopus’ Garden is back this year to offer you amazing food stalls from around the world. From Italian pasta to Dutch poffertigies, there’s something for every hour of the day and for every taste bud. And there’s plenty on offer for vegetarians and vegans too; Herbivorous is just one of the stalls providing tasty vegan street food to you festival-goers. Obviously you’ll need a drink to accompany your food, so why not try the ever-popular Gin Bar or Craft Bar to grab your favourite beverages.

With all of this and much more waiting for you, it’s guaranteed to be a great weekend. Here at Wightlink we’re counting down the days until we get to welcome you on board, so we look forward to seeing you there!

Not booked your ferry yet? Check out our dedicated Isle of Wight Festival page to find some fab ferry offers.