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Isle of Wight Festival 2024 - ticket news, lineup and rumours

The Isle of Wight Festival 2024 is taking place from June 20th-24th 2024.

Here's our guide to lineup rumours and ticket news based on what has happened over the last few years. 

If you've overheard a bit of juicy gossip, please help us whip up some excitement by getting in touch.

Anyone who wants to avoid camping at Isle of Wight Festival 2024, should look at our guides to places to stay near the Isle of Wight Festival site, Isle of Wight hotels with sea views or Isle of Wight holiday parks.
George Ezra at Isle of Wight Festival main stage
Image credit: Isle of Wight Festival 2023

Where can I buy tickets for Isle of Wight Festival 2024?

General release tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024 are now on sale via this Ticketmaster page. The general release started on November 6th 2023.
(In case you are interested...the general release followed a pre-sale for Three and Barclaycard customers from November 2nd and an early bird sale shortly after the 2023 Festival).

Will the Isle of Wight Festival 2024 sell out?

Obviously we can't say for sure whether the Isle of Wight Festival will sell out. However, we do know that 2023 weekend tickets sold out about a week before the event.

I personally think that the 2024 lineup is a little stronger than the 2023 lineup and so will probably sell out. This is based on my technique of reading the line-up out to my mother and seeing how many times she says "ooooh, I've heard of them". However, it isn't one of those events that usually sells out within 14 minutes as it has a large capacity.
**Discover large cottages near the Isle of Wight Festival arena with Classic Cottages**

How much will tickets be for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024?

Here are the confirmed prices for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024. There are 'no additional costs' which presumably means they have included the usual booking fees:

  • Weekend tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024: £269.95 (including booking fees)
  • Weekend teen tickets for 13-17 year olds: £225.95
  • Weekend student tickets: £225.95
  • Weekend islander ticket: £220.45. Isle of Wight residents can 'unlock' the discount by entering their Isle of Wight delivery postcode without spaces (this was the policy for 2023, we assume it is the same for 2024)
  • Weekend islander teen for 13-17 year olds: £192.95
  • Older child ticket for 9-12 year olds: £14 (can only be booked whilst buying another ticket)
  • Younger child ticket for 3-8 year olds: £8.40 (can only be booked whilst buying another ticket)
  • Infant ticket for 0-2 year olds: Free, but you need to book one whilst buying another ticket. You can't just turn up!
  • Weekend car park ticket: £30 (including a £1 green levy)
  • Campervan ticket: £286 - note that this doesn't include entry to the festival, you still need to buy a ticket
  • Campervan with electric hookup: £434.50 - again, this doesn't include entry to the festival, it's just a supplement to bring your motorhome or campervan.
  • Day tickets: we don't know yet if these will be available and how much they will cost. In 2023, they were £99 including fees.

For anyone who is interested, this is an increase of about £40 for an adult weekend ticket compared to 2023. The early bird Islander tickets were an absolute bargain at £165. That's more than £100 off the standard price (sorry, I know that's an annoying thing to mention for those who missed out).

​It's worth saying that the Isle of Wight Festival organisers have not increased prices as much as some other major festivals since around 2011. Read the blog which waffles on this.

Which bands and acts are in the lineup for Isle of Wight Festival 2024?

We don't have the full line-up for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024 but here are the confirmed acts:

Friday Main Stage
The Prodigy
The Streets
Crowded House
The Darkness
The K's
The Bootleg Beatles

Saturday Main Stage
Pet Shop Boys
Keane
Blossoms
Jake Shears

Sunday Main Stage
Green Day
Simple Minds
Nothing But Thieves
Zara Larsson
McFly
Picture This
Beverley Knight

Big Top Acts - dates to be announced
Suede
Jo Whiley's 90s Anthems
Scouting For Girls
Dagny
The Mary Wallopers
Toyah & Robert
​Rick Parfitt Jnr Band

When will the rest of the lineup be announced for Isle of Wight Festival 2024?

We don't know for sure but we can have a guess! 

The main announcement for the 2024 line-up happened on November 2nd 2023. That was similar to the previous year where the main announcement happened on October 31st 2022. 

There was then another announcement on March 16th 2023 with a load more bands added to the line-up.

So, I would say that there's a chance of an announcement around March 2024. 

This is a good point to throw in another caveat that I really don't know this for sure. I don't have any insider information, I'm just making wild guesses based on previous years.

Lineup rumours for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024

I think it's fair to assume that the headliners have now been announced for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024. We sort of predicted that Green Day might play, but we've been saying that ever since 2016 when John Giddings first suggested it. 

I also had a random hunch that the Pet Shop Boys might play in 2024, but I didn't actually write it down or tell anyone so I don't think that counts.

However, we enjoy keeping a running list of artists which we think are on the radar for future festivals and will keep adding to this list.

​These are 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 and are managed by Solo. He also expressed his love for Little Mix though it wasn't exactly clear that he was inviting them to the Festival (they are another act which is managed by Solo). 
  • 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. The Green Day suggestion is finally coming true, a mere eight years after John Giddings mentioned it.
  • 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 future Isle of Wight Festival lineups

  • We predicted 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. One of those turned out to be true - Chemical Brothers. Other cancelled acts which we think might appear in future include Lionel Richie, Black Eyed Peas, Dido and Jess Glynne (Ed: *raises eyebrows*). There isn't yet any sign of those acts for 2024.
  • We know that organisers of the Isle of Wight Festival are keen to feature more female acts. 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).  

How about some solo acts?

It's always 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 12 times (2003, 2003, 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2019 plus James Walsh in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2022 for anyone writing a pub quiz), whilst James and Suzanne Vega have appeared five times. Iggy Pop has 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, 2013 and 2023), Germein (2023), GIRLBAND (2023), Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (2018, 2019, 2021), Gutterdammerung (2016), Imelda May (2017, 2021), Mike + The Mechanics (2016), Paradisia (2018), Pharrell Williams (2015), Spandau Ballet (2010), Sting (2008 as The Police), The Clause (2023), The Compozers (2022), The Corrs (2016), The High Kings (2016), Wet Wet Wet (2019). Other regular attendees have included George Ezra (2017, 2019, 2023) and The Courteeners (2010, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023).
​​
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 the Isle of Wight Festival (although it is still run by Solo). For what it is 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 2024?

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 20% with this Red Funnel booking form, but also check our discount ferries page as you might find a better offer comes along.

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.

Red Funnel is doing an £18 fixed price return for foot passengers - that's a great price. They are also doing an early bird car ferry deal, but there are only limited spaces at the cheap prices.

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

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

In 2023, these departed from:
  • Cowes (ferry departs from Southampton)
  • East Cowes (ferry departs from Southampton)
  • Ryde (ferry departs from Portsmouth Harbour or Hovercraft from Southsea)
  • 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. It's about four miles from the Festival site.

In 2023, the shuttle bus was £15 return per adult, £12 for a child or £65 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 usually about £9 return but it's a looooong walk from Newport bus station to the camping fields. In 2023, it was actually £4 return because of the government's cap on bus fares.

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)?

Take 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 IOWGURU10 via this link to save 10% - expires 31/12/23).
​
Other options include Travelodge in Newport and Booking.com for hotels near the Isle of Wight festival site. 

​There is a Premier Inn at the Isle of Wight Festival site, but it is reserved for artists and crew.

Newport is one of the less interesting places on the Isle of Wight so you might prefer to stay somewhere near the beach and make it more of a holiday (see our guide to Isle of Wight towns or hotels with a sea view).

Of course, you'll need to get to your accommodation after the festival has finished each night. You can either rely on public transport/taxis or bring a car and park nearby. We use the pay and display Coppins Bridge car park, which is a 15 minute walk from the festival entrance. Don't tell anyone I told you.
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 should we arrive at the Isle of Wight Festival 2024?

The biggest bands at the Isle of Wight Festival are on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but there are usually a few acts on Thursday to encourage people to arrive early. In 2023, there were four acts on Thursday night.

In recent years, the Thursday headliners 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)
  • Groove Armada DJ Set (2023)

Thursday's headliner for 2024 hasn't been announced yet.
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 2s are free, 3-12 year olds pay a small price for a ticket.

The Terms and Conditions for 2023 said that:

Tickets for Children aged between 3 and 12 as at 15 June 2023, 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.

Teenagers aged between 13 and 17 as at 15 June 2023 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.

Can my band play at Isle of Wight Festival 2024?

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. As much as I would like you to pop round to my house and play for me, it wouldn't really achieve anything.

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 2023 (Platform One is a college of music on the Isle of Wight). 

Should I go to the Isle of Wight Festival 2024?

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. 

In an interview with the Isle of Wight County Press in 2023, John Giddings said that: “I reckon half the audience come because they like the show and the entertainment that goes with it, and the other half come depending on who is on the bill".

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 very much. 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 2024 ticket news and lineup archive

Lineup update: 02/11/23

Boom! The headliners and many of the other acts for 2024 have been announced! 

I think it's another strong line-up with some household names that my Mum has heard of (Green Day, Pet Shop Boys) as well as some newer acts for the cool kids (Blossoms, Nothing But Thieves, Zara Larsson). 

I am sure that the Facebook commenters will find something to complain about but let us remember that in 2001, your best chance of seeing live music on the Isle of Wight was at The Waverley on Friday night. In 2024, you can see Green Day playing in Newport. The actual Green Day! 

Lineup update: 31/10/23

As we (sort of) predicted, a lineup announcement is coming on Thursday November 2nd.

Well, we didn't exactly predict it but we did point out that a similar announcement was made on October 31st 2022, so it is following a similar pattern.

Lineup update: 08/09/23

Scott got in touch to say that he'd spotted an Isle of Wight shaped hole in the Foo Fighters UK tour. They are playing in London on June 20th and June 22nd but they could potentially play on the Isle of Wight on the Friday or Sunday night.. The Foo Fighters have played the Isle of Wight Festival before - in 2011 and 2006.

Travel update: 07/09/23

Red Funnel has released its early bird car ferry tickets. It has also said that it will offer £18 returns for foot passengers (this is about half the usual fare, so it's not really the case that they are taking advantage of a busy weekend). The cheap car ferry tickets will sell out quickly, the foot passenger tickets aren't so urgent.

The car ferry deals look like this:
  • "Fares from £34 each way (Car + 7 people) if you travel on off-peak dates i.e. 18th, 19th, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 26th June 2024"
  • "Fares from £55 each way (Car + 7 people) if you travel on peak dates i.e. 20th, 21st or 24th June 2024"

Ticket update: 28/06/23

Early bird tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024 have sold out! ​
This means that we've seen a similar pattern for the last two years. This information could prove useful for future predictions!
  • The Isle of Wight Festival 2024 started its early bird sale on the first Friday after the 2023 festival had ended. The sale ran for five days. 
  • Similarly, the early bird sale for the Isle of Wight Festival 2023 lasted for five days and began shortly after the previous festival. According to John Giddings, this was stopped when they sold a whopping 22,000 tickets in less than a week, out of a total capacity of 55,000.
  • There was then a big line-up announcement on October 31st 2022, followed by a pre-sale for Barclaycard and Three customers which ended in November 2022 before the main release of tickets.
  • Weekend tickets then sold out on June 8th 2023, about a week before the Festival. I think I'm right in saying that there were still a few day tickets left for Friday night on the day of the festival.
  • It's also worth mentioning that campervan pitches seem to sell out quickly. I was contacted by people who had left it too late and were looking for advice.

For the purpose of my archiving, here are the prices that were charged for the early bird tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival 2024:
  • Early bird weekend ticket for adults: £190 (plus £19 booking fee) = £209
  • Early bird weekend Student: £185 (plus £18.50 booking fee) = £203.50
  • Early bird weekend Teen: £185 (plus £18.50 booking fee) = £203.50
  • Early bird Islander (i.e. an Isle of Wight resident): £150 plus £15 booking fee = £165 (use your Isle of Wight delivery postcode to unlock the discount)
  • Early bird Islander teen: = £145 plus £14.50 booking fee £159.50 (use your Isle of Wight delivery postcode to unlock the discount)
  • Older child (9-12): £12.50 (plus £1.50 booking fee) = £14
  • Younger child (3-8): £7.50 (plus 90p booking fee) = £8.40
  • Infants (2 and under): free
  • Campervan: £250 (plus £25 booking fee) = £275
  • Campervan with power: £400 (plus £40 booking fee) = £440
  • Weekend parking bought in advance: £25​

​Ticket Update: 23/06/23

Good news! The Isle of Wight Festival 2024 is confirmed and tickets are on sale today!

Related guides from Isle of Wight Guru