Future Of Isle Of Wight Festival At Seaclose Park Secured Into 2030s

The future of the Isle of Wight Festival at Seaclose Park has been secured into the 2030s.

County Hall’s environment and community protection committee (ECPC) yesterday (October 23) voted for a recommendation to agree terms on a seven-year extension to the event’s land licence.

The extension covers the period 2026 – 2033 and includes a ‘further three-year option’ for an extension up to and including 2036.

ECPC delegated authority to the strategic director for community services to ‘conclude the details’ of the Isle of Wight Festival Licence.

The licence between the Isle of Wight Festival (IOWF) and County Hall was cabinet-approved in 2023 and includes environmental obligations to protect the festival area and ‘promote sustainable practices’, according to a council officers’ report presented yesterday.

IOWF cannot cause damage to trees inside the festival area and is required to manage the total removal of litter, waste and ‘any equipment or materials’ brought into the space, to be completed before the festival period finishes.

There is also a compulsory restoration process after each festival, with joint inspections involving IOWF and the council before and following the festival period to evaluate ground conditions.

Alex Minns, service director for regeneration, economy and the community at the Isle of Wight Council, told the committee:

“(The festival agreement) was initially a ten-year agreement and through Covid it became a one off one year agreement and now we currently have a five year agreement.

“We’re now seeking to return to a ten-year agreement once again…the purpose of that is to try to provide additional security for both us the council and the festival organiser.”

The council officers’ report said:

“The Isle of Wight Festival is considered to have had a major economic benefit to the Island and has been staged annually since 2002 (except the pandemic in 2020).

“It provides worldwide profile for the Island as both a tourism destination and place to invest which if lost would be difficult to replicate.

“The event is estimated to be worth over £15m a year to the Island economy and introduces a new demographic of visitors to the Island many of whom will then continue to return both as festival goers but also long-term visitors with their family’s friends and relatives.

“Whilst the staging of the IW Festival is not necessarily supported by everyone, any adverse impacts on the local community have been mitigated over the years and a new long-term relationship will ensure that these plans will continue to be delivered and refreshed where necessary to ensure it continues to be a great event which benefits us all.”

The extended licence is to have several ‘minor alterations’ including bringing together under the same umbrella the festival’s use of the tennis courts at Seaclose and land at Newport Quay. Their usage has previously been permitted under separate agreements.