Wightlink ready for 100,000 passengers heading to Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight festival starts this Thursday
Last updated 18th Jun 2025
The Isle of Wight Festival is coming to the island on this week - lasting from Thursday to Sunday. You can expect big headliners such as: Sting, Stereophonics and Justin Timberlake.
However, for those travelling to the island, you will be hopping aboard one of the ferries heading to the Isle of Wight.
David Williams, the Head of Marketing for Wightlink Ferries told us about the exciting events they have planned for the festival.
"We'll have over 100,000 passengers, passing through our ports and terminals. So that includes festival goers, but also performers, their support crews, staff working at the festival. We continue to be a lifeline service for the island, so our regular island customers, we need to ensure they can continue to go about their daily business. But the festival is a really special time for us.
"So we've got lots of things happening. On our St. Clare ship, we've got live music aboard all day on Thursday. We've got DJ sets performing on Victoria Wight, our hybrid ferry. Also at Portsmouth Harbour, we've got DJs and in Lymington as well. Got pop up bars at Gunwharf Terminal and Portsmouth Harbour. And then at the end of the festival, as people are coming back, so people travel back from the early hours on Monday morning, from half four in the morning at Fishbourne we've got a barbecue on the go for bacon butties and hot dogs for people returning after what will hopefully be a wonderful festival weekend."
However, as it will be a busy period, David offers this advice for passengers:
"So I think in our pre departure emails that we send out to customers, we ask people to arrive at the terminal, no more than an hour before, and at least half an hour before your departure time. And that allows us to enable, to manage the the flow of traffic both into Lymington, which you're coming in through an A road in the New Forest and also into Portsmouth. And as you may know, Portsmouth roads can be quite busy.
"I would say from previous experience that the festival goers, they're not so much regular travellers, but they do take that time to plan and make sure they arrive, within good time. So working together with our customers, we can manage to minimize those queues and keep the service, running on time, and less and safely for everyone. "
As this weekend is set to be a hot one, sun protection is key. At Wightlink terminals they are offering sun cream for passengers who may have forgotten it.
"I guess having looked at the forecast, which is looking absolutely fantastic, stay hydrated. We've got extra stocks of Suntan Cream in our ports. If you forget, you can pick some up, and stay safe most importantly".