Long hailed as the ‘Carnival Capital’ of the UK, you’ll find events with a wealth of heritage and history behind them. Ryde Carnival’s Illuminated procession, is the longest-running Island carnival, first being held in honour of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. Nowadays you can find ‘Notting Hill-style’ dancers and revellers alongside the traditional seaside carnival queens!
You’ll find that it isn’t just about the carnival parade itself, many towns and villages will adorn their streets with decorations, banners and flags. The carnival is seen as a day of celebration for the towns, often with a programme of live music and other family events throughout the day.
Each major town hosts an evening of colourful frivolity as a stream of floats make their way through the centre of town. Thousands of onlookers line the streets to catch a glimpse of Rio on the Isle of Wight. Floats are hugely varied and carry pageant queens, local community groups and even pets in fancy dress!
Home to world-famous music festivals, through to internationally renowned sailing regattas, the Isle of Wight has a wealth of events sure to appeal to every taste.
Although headline acts at the Isle of Wight Festival such as The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and Elton John have graced the Island with their presence, it’s sometimes easy to forget some of the more traditional old-school fun you can still enjoy on the Isle of Wight.
If traditional festival fun is what you’re looking for, then our Dove Court Apartments provides a deluxe experience for travelling couples right through to the full family.