Few UK festivals have a setting quite like the Isle of Wight Festival. Combining big-name music, a relaxed island atmosphere and the feeling of starting the weekend with a mini adventure across the Solent, it offers something a little different from the average festival experience.

Whether you are heading over for the full weekend or visiting for a single day, a little planning can make the experience considerably easier. From getting to the island to deciding what to pack, here is how to make the most of your Isle of Wight Festival trip.

Make the Journey Part of the Experience

One of the pleasures of attending the Isle of Wight Festival is that the trip begins before you even arrive at the festival gates.

Travelling by ferry gives the weekend a distinct holiday feel, particularly when the weather is good and you can enjoy the views across the Solent.

If you are organising your journey, check sailing options with Wightlink in advance. Depending on your plans, you can travel as a foot passenger or take your vehicle across to the island.

Festival weekends are naturally busy, so arranging your crossing early can help you secure a journey that works comfortably with your schedule.

Arrive Earlier Than You Think You Need To

Trying to arrive five minutes before your favourite band starts is rarely a good festival strategy.

Give yourself enough time to account for queues, transport from the ferry terminal, getting through security and finding your bearings once you enter the festival site.

Arriving earlier also gives you the opportunity to wander around before the biggest performances begin. Festivals are often at their best when you discover smaller artists, unusual food stalls or entertainment you had not originally planned to see.

Don't Overplan Your Music Schedule

It is tempting to create a military-style timetable covering every band you want to see.

In reality, part of the enjoyment comes from being flexible.

Choose two or three performances each day that you absolutely do not want to miss and build the rest of your day around them. Leaving gaps gives you time to eat, meet friends, explore different stages and occasionally discover an artist you knew nothing about beforehand.

Those unexpected performances can end up being some of the highlights of the weekend.

Dress for Four Seasons

Even during summer, British festival weather remains unpredictable.

Comfortable footwear should be the priority. You are likely to spend hours standing and walking, so festival weekend is probably not the time to test a brand-new pair of shoes.

It is also worth bringing:

• A lightweight waterproof jacket


• Sun cream


• Sunglasses


• A hat


• Extra socks


• A warm layer for the evening


• A reusable water bottle where permitted

If rain is forecast, prepare properly rather than hoping it disappears. Being warm and dry can make an enormous difference to how enjoyable the day feels.

Explore Beyond the Main Stage

Major headline acts understandably attract most of the attention, but spending the entire weekend beside one stage means missing a large part of the festival.

Take some time to explore.

Smaller tents and stages often provide completely different atmospheres, from intimate acoustic performances to DJs and emerging bands.

It is also worth checking out the food, entertainment and activity areas scattered around the festival site. Giving yourself permission to wander without a fixed destination is part of the fun.

Eat Before You Are Desperate

Festival hunger tends to arrive suddenly.

Rather than waiting until you are starving during the busiest period of the evening, eat earlier and avoid the longest queues.

Most major festivals now offer considerably more variety than the traditional burger-and-chips stereotype, so have a look around before settling on the first stall you encounter.

Keeping snacks with you can also be useful, particularly if you are planning to spend several hours near the front of a stage.

Keep Your Phone Alive

Your phone will probably serve as your camera, festival timetable, map, ticket wallet and method of locating friends who somehow disappeared 20 minutes ago.

A portable power bank is therefore one of the most useful things you can bring.

Take screenshots of important information too. Mobile networks can become congested when thousands of people are gathered in the same place, so having tickets, travel details and meeting points available offline can save unnecessary stress.

Choose a Meeting Point

Anyone who has attended a large festival knows how surprisingly difficult it can be to find someone in a crowd.

Pick an obvious meeting point when you arrive and agree that anyone who gets separated can return there.

It sounds slightly old-fashioned in the age of smartphones, but it works remarkably well when batteries die or mobile reception becomes unreliable.

Pace Yourself

A festival weekend is a marathon rather than a sprint.

Eating properly, drinking water and occasionally sitting down will leave you with considerably more energy when the headline acts arrive.

If you are attending for several days, pacing yourself on the first afternoon is particularly important. There is little benefit in exhausting yourself before the biggest performances of the weekend have even begun.

Consider Staying Longer on the Island

The festival may be the reason for your journey, but it does not necessarily have to be the entire trip.

If your schedule allows, consider adding an extra night before or after the festival. The Isle of Wight has beaches, coastal walks, villages and plenty of places to eat and drink away from the festival site.

Staying slightly longer can also make the journey feel much more relaxed, particularly if you would otherwise be racing directly from the final performance to your transport home.

Enjoy the Festival Rather Than Documenting It

You will inevitably take photos and videos, but try not to experience the entire weekend through your phone screen.

Watch the stage.

Talk to the people around you.

Explore somewhere you had not planned to visit.

See a band you have never heard of.

The best festival memories are often the moments that were never on the original itinerary.

Make a Weekend of It

The Isle of Wight Festival combines live music with something that many festivals cannot offer: the feeling of travelling somewhere genuinely different.

Plan your ferry crossing, pack for unpredictable weather and choose the performances you really care about, but leave enough flexibility for the weekend to surprise you.

Sometimes the best way to enjoy the Isle of Wight Festival is simply to get yourself onto the island and see where the weekend takes you.