Robin Hill has announced that after a challenging Summer, due to the weather and the economy, it will temporarily close its doors until December and therefore will not host the popular Fiesta of the Dead event in October, which has now been moved to Blackgang Chine.
The shock announcement was revealed today (Monday), giving customers less than a week to squeeze in a final visit before the doors shut for 3 months on Sunday (10th September).
Those hoping to celebrate the Fiesta of the Dead in October will now have to head to sister park Blackgang Chine instead where the event will now be held.
Alec Dabell, owner of parent company Vectis Ventures, has said:
“Although we understand that many of you will miss the woodland scenery this autumn at Robin Hill, we have had a challenging season both due to the weather and the economy. However, the quality of our product is not something we are prepared to compromise on.
“We are the Land of Imagination, we will use that creativity and ingenuity to deliver the most extraordinary event. With the changed landscape, Fiesta of the Dead will delight in ways it didn’t last year, and bring about a whole new experience for guests – a fusion of Blackgang and Robin Hill.”
Vectis Ventures is inviting all customers to visit Robin Hill before it closes for the season on 10th September. You can get tickets for just £15 each or £20 for a joint park ticket for Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill.
Dabell added:
“Robin Hill will be well looked after, and preparing for the cold front as Polar descends on it in December, and we very much look forward to making magical memories with you then.”
Robin Hill will reopen on 20th December for its 5-day Christmas event, Polar.
Customers with questions about their current tickets or passes can visit the Robin Hill website for more information.
The news comes just days after an opinion piece by Island Echo’s editor touched on what a dismal Summer it was on the Island, and how Islanders must support local businesses ahead of a long winter.
Happy to take the FVP money but not to honour it. The October half term is always the best time to go to Robin Hill. They could do so much more offering a more ticketed solution at to whether to run events or not.
Also more Adult events for FVP holders, with maybe a small contribution for the extra events.
Miss a trick with Christmas… I have a FVP and almost every time I go I spend close to £60 on food and drink. It should be an open event. So many opportunities.
We’re another Island family that won’t be renewing their frequent visitor or any other tickets after this announcement.
We take care children and grandchildren throughout the season and it’s been easy to notice they’re in trouble, rides not working or being fixed, Woodland and theme areas looking old and tatty, such a shame and it’s not cheap either.
Place has been empty last few weeks you charge over the top prices during hard times people won’t turn up!
Last year for our joint park tickets then. Taking away two months that we’ve paid for and offering no refund? They’ve just lost my custom next year. We’ve spent over £1000 at the parks this year and that’s done now. Next year we’ll go somewhere else.
Sadly this won’t be the only business suffering this year, or next
The start of a long Winter of discontent as ‘perceived’ poverty of free rent, hundreds a week in benefits and extra help with heating and food if you have added more burdens which you can’t afford to society, begins.
Working people and businesses suffer, but the benefit brigade just keep getting given more and more.
Is this a joke!!!wtf had this got to do with people on benefits .most people working on minimum wage and struggling. Grow up or get a life you miserable person .you are bitter and need professional attention
Let’s see what happens to the prices of next year. Looks like they do not care about the locals.
Of course they don’t, it’s all about money
Prices are ridiculous for a glorified walk in the forest basically
I’m not at all surprised. Myself and Mrs. Hammer took our grandchildren there a couple of times over the school holidays and almost had to take out a mortgage to cover the extortionate entrance fees! In fact most venues that cater for children on the Island are rip offs.
Expect a planning application coming soon.
Robin Hill Garden Village?
BACK IN 2021…
Application No: 20/02249/RVC
Parish(es): Havenstreet And Ashey
Ward(s): Havenstreet, Ashey And Haylands
Location: Robin Hill Country Park Downend Road Arreton Newport Isle Of Wight PO30 2NU
Proposal: Variation of conditions 11 and 12 on P/00006/16 to allow the commencement of the planning permission for holiday lodges and tree houses, through the implementation of access improvement works, and to defer archaeological and ecological survey until a given period prior to commencement of a new car park, the lodges /treehouses themselves, and other associated buildings.
Got rid of bestival, then got rid of the highland gathering and now fiesta of the dead. leaving nothing more than a walk in the forest which is free at parkhurst, what exactly did you expect would happen?
Am I alone in noticing a decided lack of tourists this summer? I know of 1 caravan park that had 3 vehicles cancel due to the costs of the ferries.
We keep going on and over about tourists etc…but what else is there over here? Where do places like Robin Hood get their money from? Without tourists we are dead ducks and we have little to no industry to fall back on.
If you mean the static caravan parks such as Parkdean, customers receive discounted ferry fares from Wightlink, so the cost isn’t as much as you or I would pay to get to the mainland.
‘For customers who have booked an Isle of Wight holiday, we are able to offer discounted ferry rates with Wightlink’
I think I read recently that the number of tourists coming here is increasing year by year and is currently around 2.6 million per year. I doubt that Robin Hill closing its doors earlier this year will affect that too much.
But, let’s be honest, apart from a couple of weeks of hot weather back in June, the rest of the summer’s been a bit of a washout so any UK holiday will have been affected, not just the IoW.
I no if you book with white cliff bay the ferry over and back is 65.00
If you book with park dean when I looked it cost us 35.00 that’s coming over and back with wightlink
No these were camper vans not statics.
Over £200 for a ferry crossing? I wouldn’t do it either. My family came over for a birthday in August and that cost £165 in a car. Not everyone can travel early doors especially with children.
The point being, where does this stop? As I stated, I get round the island all the time and ferry traffic was noticeably less to me this year than previous ones. Even Shanklin sea front with the children was relatively empty.
If people don’t come, what other businesses do we have to support our economy?
As a tourist this place is known as Robbin Bast**d. It’s boring and overpriced.
The only good thing is the toboggan.
You can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig
So many businesses are being forced into difficult decisions, after footfall has been reduced by approx one third this year due to the cost of the ferry. If they are not taken to task over this they will eventually kill this island for everyone not just tourism.
As a foster carer I have been dying to visit this place for ages, but the cost of entry has made it almost impossible. Don’t understand how ordinary working island families can afford to visit often enough to keep it afloat out of season.