This year’s Isle of Wight Festival starts on board Wightlink’s ferries
21st June 2018
Wightlink will be using its busiest weekend of the year to provide a showcase for local producers and musical talent.
The cross-Solent operator estimates it has transported around a million passengers to the Isle of Wight Festival over the years. And, with a sell-out crowd descending to the Island this weekend for the 50th anniversary, Wightlink will be highlighting just some of the delights the Island has to offer.
On Thursday afternoon, festival-goers can see and hear the talent of Daniel Thornton, a BA (Hons) Commercial Music student at Platform One, a unique, specialist music college based at Newport which is also one of the local community organisations sponsored by Wightlink.
Dan will treat festival revellers travelling from Portsmouth on the St Clare at 13:00 and 15:00 to his unique style of acoustic guitar playing that involves playing two instruments simultaneously.
Island band the Tea n Biscuit Boys will be playing their unique style of rockabilly on St Clare’s 17:00 and 19:00 sailings from Portsmouth.
To give festival goers a proper taste – literally – of the Island, Wightlink is also stocking up on its array of locally produced and sourced food and drink that is served on board the busy ships that will be working around the clock at peak times to transport the crowds across the Solent. Wightlink showcases more than a dozen local suppliers and producers through its Wight Taste initiative.
There will also be a pop-up bar at the FastCat terminal at Ryde Pier Head on Thursday and Friday and bacon rolls on sale for returning festival-goers on Monday.
Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield says: “The thousands of people coming to the Festival provide us with the perfect opportunity to showcase aspects of life on the Island from the tremendous skill of musicians like Daniel and the Tea n Biscuit Boys to the amazing variety and quality of Island produce.
“The Festival is not just about getting people across the Solent it is about showcasing to visitors what is best about the island as well as exposing local producers and performers to new markets and audiences.”
Over the Festival period Wightlink will also be providing a host of event-related activity via its social media channels @wightlinkferry #IOW50 and Facebook.
Pictured: the Tea N Biscuit Boys in action on the Isle of Wight
For more information, please call Karen Woods on 07775 694266 or [email protected].