Isle of Wight Festival

Traffic information

Service Update:

View the road map of the Isle of Wight Traffic Plan.

It’s that time of year again as the Island prepares to welcome thousands to the Isle of Wight Festival 2022. The Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads and Hampshire Constabulary are once again working closely with the organisers of this year’s festival to ensure traffic flows smoothly and disruption is kept to a minimum for the world-famous event.

Please note that Fairlee Road will be closed southbound at the end of the festival each night to make sure pedestrians can exit safely. Timings may vary due to crowds leaving at different times. We would suggest avoiding the area from 10pm to 2am.

The main route for festival traffic from the Red Funnel terminal at East Cowes will be up York Avenue and along Whippingham Road where it will turn right onto East Cowes Road and into the festival car park. Festival-bound vehicles travelling from the Wightlink terminal at Fishbourne will be directed to the right on to Kite Hill, through Wootton, down Lushington Hill and right at the Racecourse roundabout and then left onto East Cowes Road and into the festival car park.

People requiring access to the quay in vehicles will be required to use the bridge and avoid going through Seaclose Park. There will be restricted public access through Seaclose from Wednesday 15 June.

If any of the entrances to the car parks are temporarily blocked, or an incident occurs on any of the roads being used by festival traffic, there are a number of diversion options where festival traffic can be temporarily ‘stacked’ away from the main roads and released into the network once the problem has been resolved.

Residents will be kept up to date with routine traffic information, details of road closures and diversions, and updates about those council services affected by the festival. Hampshire Constabulary will provide security and safety updates. Messages will be shared via social media and local media.

The council would like to remind people that the one-way system along Fairlee Road, Newport will be put in place from lunchtime on Wednesday 15 June. All outbound traffic from Newport will be directed up Staplers Road.