HERE AT THE SWISS COTTAGE WE HAVE MADE A SMALL SELECTION OF THE MAIN EVENTS AND WHATS ON THE ISLAND FOR YOU.
A FULL LIST CAN BE FOUND ON OUR TOURISM WEBSITE www.visitisleofwight.co.uk
Note:
All photos are obtained from the Tourism Companies for the use by us the Accommodation Provider on our own website and not for any other third party.
The Photographers rights have not violated and all image credits goes to the respective photographer.
JANUARY TO DECEMBER |
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JACK UP THE WEEKEND15th & 18th April – Newport Jack Up Events are bringing you two nights of Easter Bank Holiday entertainment with From The Jam & Big Country both performing live. A strictly limited number of tickets are available for each night both online & over the counter at 1Leisure sites – on sale NOW! Both concerts will be staged in the intimate setting & central location of Medina Leisure Centre just outside of Newport on the Isle of Wight Discover everything you need to know about the weekend’s proceedings & plan your attendance using our website |
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WALKING FESTIVALSaturday 7th – Sunday 15th May With over 100 different walks for all fitness levels, this festival is now the largest in the UK. It includes the famous, fundraising “Walk the Wight” www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk
Sunday 8th May – Walk The Wight Raising money for The Earl Mountbatten Hospice, the only hospice on the Isle of Wight and lead provider of palliative care to the Island community. We care for patients suffering from or affected by life-shortening illnesses and provide vital help and advice for their families, friends and carers. We are here to help Island people live well and die at peace in the place they choose. |
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WOLVERTON FOLK & BLUES FESTIVALSaturday 14th May – Wolverton Manor? A one day festival of folk & blues music set in the scenic grounds of Wolverton Manor with numerous bands, tented beverage stands, real ale tent, bbq and much more. Open 12:00pm to 8:00pm tickets £6.00 (£9 on the day) children under 12 free entry. In aid of Leukaemia Research and Brighstone School. http://www.folkandblues.org.uk WOLVERTON MANOR GARDEN FAIRSaturday 1st & Sunday 2nd September – Wolverton Manor? The original idea of a Garden Fair has now been expanded to include an emphasis on wildlife with a conservation tent showing bats and red squirrels, poultry from the Poultry Club and a variety of animals from alpacas, falcons and dogs. We continue to enjoy the event every year & hope to keep it as originally intended, as a good day out for all ages with interesting things for everyone to do. It is satisfactory that we have been able to raise significant sums of money for Age UK on the Isle of Wight and we hope this year will be even better, good weather would help! |
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YARMOUTH OLD GAFFERS FESTIVALThis event is now bi-annual now 1st to 5th June 2022 – Yarmouth Yarmouth Harbour will be filled with life and colour with more than 100 visiting traditional sailing, steam and motor vessels, including the Cream of Old Gaffers Fleet. On shore plenty of attractions, live music, craft fair, flower festival and so much more, morning till night all weekend. Car Parking Cost £5 www.yarmoutholdgaffersfestival.co.uk
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ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVALThursday 16th to Sunday 19th June Full list of Acts and performance dates can be found the official website: Along with ticket prices, camping details, transport etc
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FESTIVAL OF THE SEAJune and July – Around the Island The Isle of Wight Festival of the Sea will take place across the Island between June and July. During that period there will be a wide range of activities, events and promotions taking place – all revolving around the theme of the sea. These events will include musical events, art displays, fishing, cookery displays and food-tasting, opportunities to charter boats, open days and talks. SHIPWRECK ISLEA two day spectacular ‘Shipwreck Isle’ is coming…. Get dressed up in your best pirate gear and help defend our Island. Located in Ryde and Appley Beach over this fantastic weekend, it is an event NOT TO BE MISSED and free to attend. SATURDAY 2nd JULY 11am: Governers Garden Party at Western Gardens (St.Thomas Street, Esplanade) SATURDAY 2ND JULY – APPLEY BEACH Call:07739373567 for more info
JP MORGAN ROUND THE ISLAND RACESaturday 30th July – Cowes A one day round the island yacht race, over 1,700 boats make it one of the largest yachts race in the world, with competitors from UK, Europe and and the USA follow the 50 nautical miles around the Island. |
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MIDSUMMER JAZZFriday 30th July – Havenstreet In its 6th Year, An open-air festival of jazz on Midsummer’s Eve. Take along a Picnic and enjoy a unique musical event for one night only featuring the legendary Mike Sanchez & his Band, Swing Commanders & The Bill Bailey Band to name a few. Hot Food & drink kiosk, The Jazz Bar serving Real Island Ale, Wine, Cider & Lager is open all evening. Open 4pm til very late – Ticket Cost £17-£20 Free Parking. |
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THE ROYAL ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY SHOWSaturday 25th & Sunday 26th June – Northwood This is the show where cattle, sheep and poultry come first. It’s a fantastic day out for all the family, combining entertainment and fun with the opportunity to enjoy many aspects of Island country life and farming. The Main Ring is the focus of the Royal Isle of Wight County Show. The action lasts all day. We are currently putting together a package of non-stop entertainment and will publish a full timetable of the competitions and attractions taking place. This year these will include: Annual Poultry Show, Falconry displays, Livestock champions parade, Show jumping, Gun dog displays, Horticulture and craft tent, Goodleaf Tree Climbing, Local Celebrity Pole Climbing… and lots more Ticket Cost Adults £7 Children Under 16 Free |
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CARNIVAL TIME!!Main Parade ALL TO BE AMENDED!! Newport on Thursday 25th July: 6:00-7:30pm Cowes on Thursday 8th August 6:00-7:30pm Sandown on Saturday 27th July: 6:00-7:00pm Shanklin on Wednesday 7th August: 7:45 – 9:00pm Ventnor on Wednesday 14th August: 6:00-7:00pm Ryde on Thursday 29th August: 6:00-7:00pm A fun packed day of activities for all ages, colourful floats and costumes. Come join the thousands of people who line the streets to watch the floats and street performers. An absolute riot of colour and pumping music plus Children’s Carnivals at selected Towns. Illuminated Parades Newport time tbc Cowes on Saturday 24th August time tbc Shanklin on Saturday 10th August: 8:00 – 9:15pm. Sandown on Wednesday 28th August: 8:00-9:00pm Ventnor on Saturday 17th August time tbc Ryde on Saturday 31st August: 7:30-8:30pm An evening of activity & colourful floats Dusk brings the floats to life in full Illumination. Not to be missed. |
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THE 1940’S EXPERIENCESaturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd July – HavenstreetExtraordinary Times … Extraordinary People! Inspired music and dance … Silk stockings and military machines … Men in uniforms and spivs doing deals – pure nostalgia! Jitterbug your way back to the 1940s, experience travel by steam train, and relive the hustle and bustle of a country railway station where war time activities collide with every day rural life. Be ‘wowed’ by the stunning female trio ‘The Three Belles’ singing spankingly good songs from the swing era, and jitterbug along with the Cinque Port Lindy Hoppers. Try the hairstyles and fashions of the day, tuck into corned beef hash and spam fritters in The Refreshment Rooms, and sample an ale from The Spitfire Bar! |
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NEWPORT JAZZ WEEKENDThursday 15th to Sunday 18th September – Newport The programme for the Newport Jazz Weekend has been finalised and discounted “early bird” tickets are now available on line. Newport Jazz Weekend is sponsored by the Isle of Wight County Press and Red Funnel and is supported by Visit Isle of Wight. Event Director, Jim Thorn, said “We now have a really good reputation amongst jazz musicians and audiences across the UK, and we are a firm fixture on the UK Jazz Festival calendar. There is already a lot of interest in our line-up for May. As always, local bands and musicians will be given as much exposure as possible and there will be jam sessions, workshops and master classes as well as open-air gigs and events which are free to the public“. Cost between £4 to £24. www.iwjazzweekend.co.uk
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RHYTHM TREE WORLD MUSIC FESTIVALFriday 8th to Sunday 10th July – Sticelett Farm, Thorness Bay Welcome to the Rhythmtree. If you didn’t already know the Rhythmtree has a great reputation for bringing together an extraordinarily diverse rich mix of high quality music. Yes! You probably don’t recognise many of the bands on our line-up…. BUT THAT’S THE POINT! Buy a ticket, come along and we will introduce you to some of the most exciting, dynamic and innovative bands that exist and thrive below the radar of today’s mainstream music scene. Situated on beautiful tree surrounded farmland close to the famous West Wight Heritage Coast free camping and parking is included in our week-end ticket price and of course children 12yrs and under come for free! Kids under 12 are free, Adult weekend £75 teen weekend £40, Adult day £30 teen day £15 MONDOMIX FESTIVALJuly – TBC Joining the dots between Afrobeat Ska Reggae Jazz Folk Gospel and Blues the World Village Project brings you the second MondoMix music festival. |
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AUGUST: |
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COWES WEEKSaturday 30th July to 5th August – Cowes Sponsored by Lendy Asset Management the event is a mix of competitive sailing and a vibrant social scene, attracting over 8500 boats & 100,000 visitors. On Friday 16th is the spectacular Fireworks Extravaganza. Yarmouth Carnival & Regatta Week – TBC We are a non-profit organisation that, with the help of our members, brings people together in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. We organise a number of events for our community throughout the year. www.yarmouthcarnival.org.uk
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GARLIC FESTIVALSaturday 20th & Sunday 21st August – Arreton The Islands biggest summer show packed with stage & arena Events, over 300 commercial stalls, funfair, vintage vehicle show and edible treats . The Island’s garlic flavours everything from hot crusty bread to moules, prawns, lamb, beer the list is endless. An all day eating experience. Open 10am to 6pm – Tickets Cost £7.50 to £8.50, Children £5 |
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CHALE SHOWSaturday 6th & Sunday 7th August – Chale The most traditional & distinguished family show on the Island. A display of horticultural exhibits, crafts, antiques, farmers market, entertainers & stunt shows. Open 11am to 5pm – Tickets Cost £6-8 Children are free |
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JACK UP THE 80’SSaturday 13th & Sunday 14th August – Garlic Festival Field in Newchurch Owing to the warm reception received last August, we have decided to throw another family friendly festival. The purpose of Jack Up The 80′s remains the same, we aim to raise valuable funds and awareness for two important Island charities; Wight Crystal and the Way Forward Programme. Wight Crystal are the widely recognised supplier of spring water and water coolers on the Isle of Wight. As a registered charity Wight Crystal work alongside The Way Forward Programme, which provides a programme of activities supporting people with physical and learning disabilities, autism and long term conditions. We think you’ll all agree, the ticket price is amazing value! We’ve done our upmost to keep ticket costs as low as possible to ensure families have a first class weekend. Acts include ABC, Go West, The Christians, Bruce Foxton from the Jam, Sonia and many more tribute bands. Ticket Cost Adults £35-£40 Teens £15-20 Children Under 12 Free |
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VENTNOR FRINGE FESTIVALIn Ventnor TBC Although no two fringe festivals are run in exactly the same way the term originates from the now world famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It’s name was coined by the journalist Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival (1948) as a “fringe”, writing: “Round the fringe of official Festival drama, there seems to be more private enterprise than before”. The term stuck and has since been adopted by many other festivals who follow the same principles as the Edinburgh event. The most important difference between a curated art or music festival and a ‘Fringe’ is that there are no programmers at the Fringe. Any artist of any creative discipline and at any stage in their career can take part, providing a suitable venue can be found. In Ventnor, the vast majority of events are run in this way, with 100% of ticket sales going back to the artists and organisers of each event. The Fringe itself only applies a selection process to the Festival Bars, although the self contained Isle of Wight Film Festival and Lounge Around Town and Sunday School events also run semi-curated or curated programmes. |
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ISLE OF WIGHT SCOOTER WEEKENDFriday 26th to Monday 29th August – Ryde Widely recognised as the biggest scooter event in the world, this is a fun-packed weekend for the scooter enthusiast culminating with the awesome spectacle of the Island ride-out on the Sunday afternoon. Other highlights incl a spectacular custom scooter show, said to be the best display of custom scooters in Europe & various forms of live entertainment. |
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V-DUB ISLANDSaturday 6th t0 Sunday 14th August – NewportV- See their own site for Ticket costs and camping details etc |
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ISLAND STEAM SHOWFriday 26th to Monday 29th August – Havenstreet The stunning shows in the main arena will make you gasp, cheer and laugh, keeping the kids entertained is all important, so as well as the traditional fairground and the arena events, there are trampolines, ‘Red Indian’ face painting and our children’s play area. Central to the Island Steam Show is the delight of the ‘living engineering’ of our vintage steam vehicles, many of which date from the early years of the last century. Revel in the colour and atmosphere, as you climb aboard a traditional fairground ride, and relish the spectacle of the beautifully maintained traction engines, vintage cars, motorcycles, trucks and old wagons.
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SEPTEMBER: |
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| IOW CLASSIC CAR SHOW
Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th September – Newport & Ryde The famous Isle of Wight, Charity Classic Car event promises to be the biggest and best ever. Vehicles from all over the UK and mainland Europe will be attending this unique two-day show. Saturday 14th the show will be located at the characterful Newport Quay and all the funds raised will be donated directly to the Isle of Wight Round Table to support children in need on the Island. Sunday 15th the show will be held on the beautiful and exotic Ryde Esplanade and all monies on this day will be donated directly to the Earl Mountbatten Hospice in Newport. Both shows will be FREE to attend and access will be from 11am to 5.30pm. |
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MORRIS MINOR RALLY
4th September – HavenstreetThe first British car to sell a million! The ‘Moggy Minor’ is fondly remembered and is still a much-loved car.
See a host of Travellers, saloons, convertibles, vans, pick-ups and custom classics on display at the annual Morris Minor Rally in the events filed at Havenstreet Station. Autojumble, refreshments and train rides available! There is FREE ADMISSION to this Event
There is FREE ADMISSION to this Event |
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CYCLING FESTIVALAugust TimeThe Isle of Wight Cycling Festival provides the perfect opportunity to get off the beaten track and enjoy some of the Island’s most beautiful, unspoilt countryside. Rides vary from pleasant meanders through pretty villages to Cycle the Wight, a 65-mile road route around the Island’s spectacular coastline. Our Round the Island cycle route covers 65 miles and is particularly popular with experienced cyclists. If you’d like a long ride with beautiful sea views, hill starts and country meanders, this route won’t disappoint. http://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk Tour of Britain11th September – RydeThe Tour of Britain races to the Isle of Wight on Sunday 11th September 2022, starting from Ryde and finishing with an exhilarating climb for the title at the Needles Battery finish line. Promising an exciting sporting spectacle against a spectacular Island backdrop, this is an event not to be missed! Over 100 of the world’s best road riders will push off from the seaside start line at Ryde mid-morning this September, setting off on a gruelling 150km race across the Isle of Wight. Passing through many of the Island’s charming villages, boutique towns, there are plenty of opportunities for spectators to catch the race roadside, as the pros do battle by bike around the Isle of Wight. |
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OCTOBER: |
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AUTUMN WALKING WEEKENDSaturday 8th to Sunday 16th October A special extra event to follow on from the May Walking Festival. The walks include treasure hunts, wild food walks, ghost walks, twilight walks, friendship walks as part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Nordic walking & down land & forest walks. |
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NOVEMBER: |
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A VICTORIAN CHRISTMASTBA November – Osborne House, East Cowes Experience the spirit of a Victorian Christmas. Enjoy traditional side show games and take a ride on an original Victorian carousel. Delight in jovial entertainers including the Singing Chimney Sweeps. Meet Father Christmas and even Queen Victoria as you tour some of the festively dressed ground floor rooms of Osborne House. www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/osborne-house |
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DECEMBER:SANTA AND MINCE PIE SPECIALSVarious Events in December – Havenstreet Soak up the festive atmosphere at Havenstreet station with a visit to Santa. Stroll through our sparkling Winter Wonderland before meeting Santa who’ll have a quality gift for every child. Settle back and relax with a cosy 10-mile round trip on our steam trains through the Island’s winter countryside and enjoy FREE entertainment for the children. |
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