With the Isle of Wight Festival just days away, residents and visitors are being reminded of forthcoming changes to traffic arrangements in and around Newport.
From late morning on Wednesday (18th June), the usual temporary one-way system will be introduced along Fairlee Road to help manage the increased flow of vehicles heading to the major event.
The outbound route from Newport will be diverted via Staplers Road, with normal traffic arrangements expected to resume on the afternoon of Monday 23rd June.
The roadworks and diversions at Horsebridge Hill, between Newport and Cowes, will be suspended to allow usual traffic flows during the period festival traffic arrangements are in place.
Visitors travelling to the Island by vehicle are advised to follow official festival signage and use the following designated routes to reach car parking areas:
East Cowes
For those arriving via the Red Funnel terminal in East Cowes, the main route to the Festival site will be via York Avenue and Whippingham Road, turning right onto East Cowes Road and into the car park.
During peak times, traffic may instead be directed up to the Racecourse roundabout before looping back to turn left into East Cowes Road.
Fishbourne
Festival-bound vehicles disembarking at the Wightlink terminal in Fishbourne will be directed right onto Kite Hill, through Wootton, down Lushington Hill, and then right at the Racecourse roundabout before turning left into East Cowes Road and into the festival car park.
Yarmouth
On leaving the Wightlink Ferry, traffic for the festival should follow the signs to through to Newport, take the dual carriage to Coppins Bridge and follow the diversion to Wootton and turn left into Lushington Hill, right at the Racecourse roundabout and then left onto East Cowes Road and into the festival car park.
Newport Quay
Access to Newport Quay and the Riverside Centre will be maintained via the bridge from Sea Street. There will be no access through Seaclose Park.
In the event of any temporary blockages at car park entrances or incidents on festival routes, a number of diversion options are in place to allow traffic to be safely ‘stacked’ away from main roads and released once the issue is resolved.
Cowes Floating Bridge festival timetable
The Cowes Floating Bridge will be operating an extended timetable during the weekend of the Isle of Wight Festival.
From Cowes
Friday (20th June 2025)
First Ferry: 05:00 – Last Ferry: 01:20
Saturday (21st June 2025)
First Ferry: 05:00 – Last Ferry: 01:20
Sunday (22nd June 2025)
First Ferry: 06:30 – Last Ferry: 01:20
Monday (23rd June 2025)
First Ferry: 05:00 – Last Ferry: 00:20
From East Cowes
Friday (20th June 2025)
First Ferry: 05:10 – Last Ferry: 01:10
Saturday (21st June 2025)
First Ferry: 05:10 – Last Ferry: 01:10
Sunday (22nd June 2025)
First Ferry: 06:40 – Last Ferry: 01:10
Monday (23rd June 2025)
First Ferry: 05:10 – Last Ferry: 00:10
People are encouraged to look at the council’s dedicated festival pages, which contain important information about the road closures and diversions, including access to Seaclose Park and changes to council services.
I’m sure the usual chaos will ensue on day 1 of the diversions…
it always does.
even though day 2 onwards of the diversions cause little issue,..
and the one-way system and diversion is the same every year,…
the first day is always chaos.
it’s like everyone forgets over the year since the last festival, & as soon as the one-way system goes in, they panic & don’t understand where to go,. & everything grinds to a halt.
so people,.. whatever it is you do on the Thursday & Friday to get where you need to get to, via the one-way system & diversion(s),… Please do it on the Wednesday as well..
Best to boycott Newport and surrounding areas.
I cannot wait to see Sting on Friday though.
I love it the way everything is done to help giddings line his pockets, to hell with the locals who struggle to find an open road and the ones they do use are worse than many “3rd world” countries with surfaces wrecked by incompetently backfilled roadworks with the worst offender being shytefibre.
Too be honest the Festival would be better if
it was moved to the mainland, the island infrastructure
struggles to cope with it.
Majority of festival businesses come over from
the mainland, not many island businesses
profit from the festival apart from Giddings, the
Landowners and the Ferry Companies.
Maybe they should all give some of their profits
to Mountbatten.
You need to get out more
And so it begins…
It does take a little bit of getting used to but the system usually works reasonably well… until the first fender bender brings it all to a grinding halt! Took me an hour+ to get out of B & Q one year!
Still, can’t wait to go home early on Friday when Sting will be playing! ♂️