Of the 9 campsites within 3.5 miles of Cowes Week, 7 are good for families.
The Friday fireworks are a late night for small children. In 2026 the display was due to start at about 9.30pm, and Prince's Green drew the biggest crowd. The East Cowes Esplanade, also closed to traffic for spectators, is about 12 minutes' walk from Waverley Park, so bed is close when the last rocket goes up.
The days need filling too, as yacht racing is hard for children to follow. The East Cowes Esplanade has a free paddling pool, open daily from 8am to dusk from May to the end of September, with a play area nearby. Northwood House park in Cowes has a fenced playground, and the Classic Boat Museum at Medina Village lets accompanied children aged 17 and under in free.
For a wet day, Thorness Bay has an indoor pool with a flume. Waverley Park's heated outdoor pool opens from late May to mid-September for residents. Gurnard Pines no longer has a pool: it closed in 2023. More ideas in camping with kids.
31 July to 6 August 2027
The Parade and Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes
The event's own camping: None. Cowes Week has no camping of its own.
We priced every campsite below for those 7 nights. 4 have a price; the cheapest is Thorness Bay Holiday Park, at £70 for two adults.
Holiday park · East Cowes · 0.8 miles
about £91 for 7 nights, two adults · Play area · outdoor pool · entertainment · Heated outdoor pool with a slide from late May to mid-September, with under-16s supervised. Quiet hours start at 11pm.
Tents, caravans, motorhomes, static caravans
from £13/night
ViewHoliday park · Gurnard · 1.5 miles
Woodland chalets with red squirrels near Gurnard beach. The pool closed in 2023, and no pets are allowed anywhere on the estate.
Chalets
Prices on request
ViewCampsite · Northwood · 1.9 miles
£140 for 7 nights, two adults · The flat fee covers two children aged 16 or under. No pool or play area: it is a meadow with a stream at the bottom.
Tents, caravans, motorhomes
from £20/night
ViewCampsite · Cowes · 2.1 miles
Small off-grid site south-west of Cowes, about 10 minutes' drive from Gurnard's seafront. Campervan pitches if you want to come over with a van.
Tents, motorhomes, bell tents
Prices on request
ViewGlamping site · Cowes · 2.2 miles
about £1225 for 7 nights, two adults · Play area · farm animals · Farm animals and a play area, and the Family Ark sleeps four. Children must be supervised at all times.
from £175/night
ViewHoliday park · Gurnard · 2.2 miles
Static caravans
Prices on request
ViewHoliday park · Cowes · 3.4 miles
about £70 for 7 nights, two adults · Play area · indoor pool · entertainment · Indoor pool, kids' clubs and evening shows, and a walk down to Thorness Bay. A long way from the fireworks without a car.
Tents, caravans, motorhomes, safari tents, static caravans
from £10/night
ViewNo campsites match all of those.
In 2026 the display on Friday 7 August was due to start at about 9.30pm. Queens Road closed from about 5pm, so arrive early if you want a spot on Prince's Green.
Try the free paddling pool and play area on the East Cowes Esplanade, or the fenced playground in Northwood House park. The Classic Boat Museum lets children aged 17 and under in free with an adult.
Waverley Park in East Cowes. It is about 12 minutes on foot to the East Cowes Esplanade, or about 35 minutes to Prince's Green using the Floating Bridge.
Waverley Park Holiday Centre, about 0.8 miles away as the crow flies.
Thorness Bay Holiday Park, from £10 a night for two adults, is the lowest price we can find over the next year. Prices change with the season and the day of the week, so put your dates into the calculator on this page.
5 of the 7: Waverley Park Holiday Centre, Comforts Farm, The Hydeaway, The Ark Park and Thorness Bay Holiday Park.
Yes: Waverley Park Holiday Centre.
Yes, at Comforts Farm, The Hydeaway and The Ark Park. Most want fires in a raised pit, not on the ground.
