live service status

The Isle of Wight Festival is one of our busiest periods, with high numbers of passengers and vehicles travelling over a short space of time.

If you’re travelling with us during this period, here’s what you need to know before you set off.

Travelling with a vehicle

Sailings are expected to be busy, particularly on peak days.

To help reduce congestion in and around the port, please arrive no more than 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time.

Due to limited space in our marshalling areas, vehicles arriving early may be turned away. If you arrive late, you may need to rebook and travel on a later sailing and availability will be extremely limited.

Our teams will be on hand to guide you through check-in and keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

Travelling as a foot passenger (Red Jet)

Our service operates on a first come, first served (and boarded) basis, so we recommend arriving early over IOW Festival weekend, as sailings often reach capacity. When buying tickets online for Red Jet, you’ll select a sailing time – this is for pricing purposes only and does not guarantee space on that sailing.

If you’re travelling with luggage, please allow extra time for boarding.

Bikes and luggage

Due to increased passenger numbers and luggage, space for bikes will be limited, particularly on peak Red Jet sailings. 

If you’re travelling with a bike or large items, please allow extra time and be prepared to wait for the next available service if required.

Festival trolleys can be difficult for us to accommodate, so if you’re planning to bring one, you may need to wait for a later sailing when space is available.

Priority for essential travel

Customers travelling for essential reasons, such as residents, commuters or those attending hospital appointments, may be prioritised on selected peak sailings.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before departure and speak to a member of staff on arrival.

Getting to the festival

Both East Cowes and West Cowes are within easy reach of the festival site.

• Bus: Shuttle buses run between ferry terminals and the festival site
• Water taxi: Services operate from both terminals to Island Harbour (around a 10-minute walk from the campsite)

Further details and timings will be available at the terminals during the event.

Stay up to date

Please check the latest service updates before you travel: redfunnel.co.uk/service

You can also follow updates via the Red Funnel app.