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Isle of Wight Festival 2023 - ticket news, lineup and rumours

The Isle of Wight Festival 2023 takes place from 15-18 June 2023.

Here's our guide to lineup rumours and ticket news. If you've overheard a bit of gossip on a ferry or in the queue at Sainsburys about who might play at the Isle of Wight Festival 2023, please contact us so we can whip up some unsubstantiated excitement.

If you don't fancy camping at Isle of Wight Festival 2023, there are various alternatives including our guides to places to stay near the Isle of Wight Festival site or Isle of Wight holiday parks.
Isle of Wight Festival main stage
Image credit: Isle of Wight Festival 2022

Where can I buy tickets for Isle of Wight Festival 2023?

Early Bird tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival 2023 went on sale on Friday 24 June 2022. Last year, the early bird deal only ran for about a week but we don't know how long it will last for this year.

How much are tickets for Isle of Wight Festival 2023?

The early bird prices for Isle of Wight Festival 2023 look like this:
  • Early bird weekend ticket for adults: £175
  • Early bird weekend Student: £170
  • Early bird weekend Teen: £170
  • Early bird Islander (i.e. an Isle of Wight resident): £135 (use your Isle of Wight postcode in capitals without any spaces to unlock the cheaper price - this must be your delivery address)
  • Early bird children weekend tickets (3-12): £5.60
  • Infants (4 and under): free
  • Campervan: £240 + £17.30 service charge
  • Campervan with power: £390 + £17.30 service charge
  • Weekend parking bought in advance: £20

There are booking fees as well, which usually adds about £10 to each ticket.

lineup for Isle of Wight Festival 2023 

We don't have any details of who will play at the Isle of Wight Festival 2023, but if you scroll down a bit you'll see some flimsy rumours which will probably be wrong.

Lineup rumours for Isle of Wight Festival 2023

Our success with predicting the lineup is hit and miss, so don't book your ferry based on any of this. We've got a few things right, but we have also got a lot wrong over the years.

For what it's worth, here are a few predictions, mostly based on interviews with Isle of Wight Festival organiser John Giddings.
  • In 2022, John Giddings was being interviewed by Isle of Wight Radio after a Kylie Minogue song had been playing. John commented that 'we should book her'. Was it a throwaway comment? Probably. Are we still going to whip it up into a rumour for a future festival? Of course! There was also a story in the Daily Star in 2018 about Kylie playing at the Isle of Wight Festival.  ​
  • In the same Isle of Wight Radio interview in 2022 John Giddings said that they had 'thought about Lizzo' and that she is 'definitely on a list for the future'.
  • A 2022 interview with the Isle of Wight County Press included John Giddings saying that "Pink Floyd aren't going to reform, neither are Led Zeppelin". This reads more like an anti-rumour than a rumour but let's include it anyway as we know John Giddings is a big fan of them both. I do think it's likely that Robert Plant will be booked for a future festival. He played back in 2002 and he played at the Isle of Wight's Rhythmtree Festival in 2019 so he knows where to catch the ferry from.
  • Along similar lines - in 2020, John Giddings gave an interview to the University of Exeter. He said he'd "love to reform Pink Floyd". This is a common theme, as he also told Absolute Radio in 2015 that he'd like Roger Waters ​to play. In the University of Exeter interview he also mentioned Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, which play old Pink Floyd songs. He also expressed his love for Little Mix though it wasn't exactly clear that he was inviting them to the Festival. 
  • In 2018, John Giddings told the Isle of Wight County Press that "I would love the Arctic Monkeys to play. I asked them ages ago but I haven't heard back from them". They've never played the Isle of Wight Festival.
  • In 2016, John Giddings told the Isle of Wight County Press that he'd like to book Oasis, Green Day and The Kinks. Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher have both played the festival since then in 2018, 2019 and 2021, so that one has sort-of happened.
  • In 2015, John Giddings dropped a few names to The Price is Wight, including Beyonce, Rihanna and Ed Sheeran. It was more of a wish list than any insight into conversations that had taken place. I wouldn't buy a ticket expecting to see any of them, but you never know.
  • Way back in 2014, John Giddings told Glamour Magazine that 'I'd still love Coldplay, the Foo Fighters or Muse to come back because they were so good'. He repeated the Foo Fighters and Coldplay line in an interview in 2015. Muse returned in 2022, so we can remove that one. Note that it took eight years for that one to come true!

A few hunches and educated guesses about the Isle of Wight Festival 2023 lineup

  • I think it's still possible that some of the bands which dropped out of the Isle of Wight Festival 2021 might play in 2023. The festival was delayed twice and the lineup changed due to artist availability and travel restrictions. Acts which didn't make it included Lionel Richie, Chemical Brothers, Black Eyed Peas, Dido and Jess Glynne.
  • I have a hunch that there might be a female headliner in 2023. As previously discussed, the headline acts at the Isle of Wight Festival have been very male-dominated. John Giddings sent out a request for 'more non-cis male acts' for one of the smaller stages in 2021 so the imbalance is certainly on their radar. Who could that be? Perhaps a female act which has already played at the Isle of Wight Festival such as Florence + The Machine (2010) or Pink (also 2010)? Am I just plucking names out of the air or do I have secret insider information? (Ed: it's the former, stop pretending).  
  • Thanks to Rebecca for getting in touch to point out that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have got a gap in their European tour around the time of the Isle of Wight Festival. As things stand, they are in Zurich on 13 June and Germany on 21 June which allows plenty of time for a detour via Seaclose Park. Of course, Bruce Springsteen played at only Isle of Wight Festival which was truly muddy (2012). 

How about some solo acts?

It's also a good bet that some artists managed by Solo will appear at future Isle of Wight Festivals. This has happened several times in the last few years, which is unsurprising as John Giddings is the MD of Solo.

For example, Solo-managed Starsailor/singer-James Walsh have appeared at the Isle of Wight Festival nine times (2003, 2003, 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2019 plus James Walsh in 2018, 2019 and 2022 for anyone writing a pub quiz), whilst James have appeared five times. Suzanne Vega and Iggy Pop have appeared four times.

Other Solo acts which have appeared at the Isle of Wight Festival include Alison Moyet (played at Isle of Wight Festival 2017), Bananarama (2009), Bang Bang Romeo (2018, 2019), Blondie (2010 and 2013), Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (2018, 2019, 2021), Gutterdammerung (2016), Imelda May (2017, 2021), Mike + The Mechanics (2016), Pharrell Williams (2015), Spandau Ballet (2010), Sting (2008 as The Police), The Corrs (2016), The High Kings (2016), Wet Wet Wet (2019) and Paradisia (2018).
​
Other Solo-managed acts which haven't yet played at the Isle of Wight Festival include Phil Collins, Genesis and Little Mix. You can see the full list of artists on the Solo website.
 
We have been repeatedly wrong with our hunch that other artists managed by Live Nation might appear. The company has a majority stake in Solo. For what it's worth Live Nation artists include: Beyonce, Barbara Streisand, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Shakira and U2.
 
Honestly, if Barbara Streisand was booked for Saturday night, I'd eat my Isle of Wight Festival hat.

What's the cheapest way to get to the Isle of Wight Festival 2023?

If you've not been to the Isle of Wight before, see our ferry travel guide for beginners. ​​Your options are:
If you stay in accommodation off site you can usually ask your accommodation provider to book the ferry for you at a special rate (e.g. Away Resorts). They get trade rates on the ferry which can sometimes be up to half price, and can pass the saving on to you.

You can save 10% with the booking form on this page, but your best bet is to keep an eye on our discount ferries page as special offers for discounted travel to the Isle of Wight Festival are usually made available. 

Most people travel via Southampton or Portsmouth, whilst the Lymington crossing can be a bit quieter. You may find that travelling as a foot passenger on a car ferry is the best way to avoid long queues and delays.

How do I get from the ferry to the Isle of Wight Festival site?

There are shuttle buses which will get you to the Isle of Wight Festival bus station.

In 2022, these departed from Cowes (ferry departs from Southampton), East Cowes (ferry departs from Southampton), Ryde (ferry departs from Portsmouth Harbour or Hovercraft from Southsea) and Yarmouth (ferry departs from Lymington, next to Lymington Pier railway station). Note that there wasn't a shuttle bus from Fishbourne, which is where the Wightlink car ferry from Portsmouth arrives. 

In 2022, the shuttle bus was £14 return per adult, £10 for a child or £60 for a group of 5. They ran from Thursday morning until Monday lunchtime.

It is cheaper to use the 'normal' buses on the Isle of Wight, but you don't end up as close to the festival site. For example, the Number 7 bus from Yarmouth to Newport is £9.20 return but it's a looooong walk from Newport bus station to the camping fields. 

You may also find that a taxi full of people is cheaper than the shuttle bus, but I haven't tried that out myself.

What accommodation is near to the Isle of Wight Festival (apart from camping)?

oTake a look at our guide to 10 of the best places to stay near the festival or a cheap option is one of the Isle of Wight's holiday parks. Most resorts are by the coast but The Lakes Rookley is quite a large resort which is 11 minutes drive from the Isle of Wight Festival site (use discount code IOWG10 via this link to save 10% until 31/12/22)
​
Other options include Travelodge in Newport and Expedia for hotels near the Isle of Wight festival site. 

There is a Premier Inn at the Isle of Wight Festival site but it's reserved for artists and crew.
The Lakes Rookley waterside view
Most holiday resorts aren't near the Isle of Wight Festival but The Lakes Rookley is 11 minutes away by car

When is the Isle of Wight Festival 2023?

The Isle of Wight Festival 2023 will take place from Thursday 15 June - Sunday 18 June 2023.

The biggest bands are on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but there is usually an act on Thursday night to encourage people to arrive early. In recent years, these have been:
  • Bjorn Again (2008)
  • The Human League (2009)
  • Squeeze (2010)
  • ABC and Boy George (2011)
  • Primal Scream (2012)
  • Happy Mondays and The Farm (2013)
  • Boy George and Inspiral Carpets (2014)
  • Billy Idol (2015)
  • Status Quo (2016)
  • Razorlight (2017)
  • Wombats (2018)​
  • Wet Wet Wet and Heather Small (2019)
  • Happy Mondays (originally booked for 2020 but cancelled)
  • Scouting for Girls (2021)
  • Happy Mondays (2022)
Ferries are cheaper if you book early - click here to read our guide

Can under 18s attend the Isle of Wight Festival without an adult? Do children get in free?

In summary, teenagers need an adult with them. Under fours are free, 5-12 year olds pay a small price for a ticket.

The Terms and Conditions for 2022 said that:

Teenagers aged between 13 and 17 as at 16 June 2022 are entitled to purchase a teen Ticket but must be accompanied by at least 1 responsible Adult per 5 Teenagers. Unaccompanied Teenagers will be refused entry to the Festival.

An Infant aged 4 and under as at 16 June 2022, will have access to the Festival free of charge. The Promoter reserves the right to cap the number of Infant Tickets it issues. Proof of age may be required on entry for Infant tickets. Please ensure that you have ID with proof of age with you for your Infant in case you are asked. Failure to provide such ID may result in your Infant being refused entry to or asked to leave the Venue. 

Tickets for Children aged between 5 and 12 as at 16 June 2022, can be purchased with adult tickets. The Promoter reserves the right to cap the number of Child Tickets it issues. Proof of age may be required on entry for Child tickets. Please ensure that you have ID with proof of age with you for your child/children in case you are asked. Failure to provide such ID may result in your Child being refused entry to or asked to leave the Venue.

Can my band play at Isle of Wight Festival 2023?

Sorry, this is nothing to do with us. Isle of Wight Guru is an independent site which has no official link to the Isle of Wight Festival. 

In previous years there have been Battle of the Band competitions held by the organisers.

There was also a Platform One stage at Isle of Wight Festival 2022 (Platform One is a college of music on the Isle of Wight). 

Should I go to the Isle of Wight Festival 2023?

The Isle of Wight Festival has evolved (like most festivals) from one great big stage to a 'visitor experience' (John Giddings' words) with various big tops, bars and stages. There are also funfair rides etc. 

The age range at the Isle of Wight Festival is pretty wide with loads of families (kids get in for next to nothing) and lots of people who are old enough to have attended the first festival in 1968. If you grew up on the Isle of Wight there's a high probability of witnessing one of your schoolteachers looking worse for wear after a jug of Pimms. 

In the last few years the price hasn't really gone up. You've got to pay for the ferry but it is reasonable if you split it between four people in car. If you're travelling alone or as a couple it will be cheaper to travel as a foot passenger (see further up the page for ferry deals).

How can I get in free to the Isle of Wight Festival?

Unless you are a 6' 7" ​tall former footballer or own a hot air balloon, your best bet is to volunteer to clean up during the festival.

An organisation called EcoWarriorz will give you free entry in exchange for a number of shifts. You generally work during the day so you can still see the main acts in the evening. They also provide some food and hot showers for you.

Isle of Wight festival 2023 ticket news and lineup archive

We got nuffin yet. We'll update this section as announcements are made.

Ticket update - 21/06/22

Great news! The Isle of Wight Festival 2023 is already confirmed and tickets are going on sale on Friday. I will never take for granted that any festival on this scale will keep rolling on every year successfully, so this is excellent news! 

Related guides from Isle of Wight Guru