Isle of Wight Festival

One of the oldest music festivals in the UK, the Isle of Wight festival has played host to some of the biggest names in music, including Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Who, Joni Mitchell and the Rolling Stones. Since the festival’s inception in 1968, hundreds of festival-goers have made the trip down to the picturesque Isle of Wight every year to see scores of popular contemporary bands perform in an area of the UK that sees some of the best weather in the country. Held around early-mid June across the weekend, the Isle of Wight festival makes a fantastic alternative UK weekend holiday for anyone who loves rock and electro music.

 

An Isle of Wight Festival holiday makes for a superb UK camping holiday with a twist; festivalgoers staying for the full 3 days of the festival will most likely camp in one of the sprawling, communal campsites that make up a large part of the festival site. While on the face of it going to the Isle of Wight Festival might not seem to make for a cheap UK holiday, the amount of bands and entertainment more than makes the price of the ticket worthwhile. To see this amount of popular artists at individual gigs would cost well over £1000, whereas a 2011 Isle of Wight Festival ticket can be brought for just £175. And that includes your camping accommodation for the duration of the festival.

 

Held in Seaclose Park in Newport on the Isle of Wight, getting to the festival from mainland UK is something of a pilgrimage, making the whole experience that bit more special. Most people will catch a ferry from either Portsmouth or Southampton, which will arrive at Ryde or East Cowes, depending on the ferry company you travel with. From there, you can either catch a bus or get a taxi to the festival, or make your own way there by car. However you choose to arrive, you can guarantee that not many other UK short breaks will be as fun-packed and memorable as a trip to the Isle of Wight festival.