The Isle of Wight Literary Festival runs from Thursday to Sunday in early October at Northwood House in Cowes. It was held on 3 to 6 October 2024, 9 to 12 October 2025 and 8 to 11 October 2026, so expect Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 October 2027. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
October is the end of the camping season. Many sites around Cowes close at the end of September, so the choice for festival-goers is mostly all-year parks and glamping. A cabin or an ark with a woodburner makes more sense than a tent for an evening talk followed by a cold walk back.
7 to 10 October 2027 dates to be confirmed
Northwood House, Ward Avenue, Cowes PO31 8AZ, with St Mary's Church and other Cowes venues
The event's own camping: None. The festival has no camping; stay at an all-year park or glamping site around Cowes.
We priced every campsite below for those 4 nights. 3 have a price; the cheapest is Waverley Park Holiday Centre, at £52 for two adults. 1 are closed then.
Holiday park · East Cowes · 0.9 miles
about £52 for 4 nights, two adults · Open all year, about 1.4 km from Northwood House. Walk down to the Floating Bridge, cross the Medina and walk up through West Cowes.
Tents, caravans, motorhomes, static caravans
from £13/night
ViewCampsite · Cowes · 1.9 miles
Small off-grid site south-west of Cowes, about 3 km from Northwood House, with tent and campervan pitches and bell tents. Check it is still open in October.
Tents, motorhomes, bell tents
Prices on request
ViewGlamping site · Cowes · 2 miles
about £700 for 4 nights, two adults · Glamping arks with woodburners on Pallance Lane, Northwood, open until 31 October. About 3.2 km from Northwood House, a short drive or taxi after an evening talk.
from £175/night
ViewHoliday park · Gurnard · 2 miles
Static caravans
Prices on request
ViewGlamping site · Cowes · 2.6 miles
about £520 for 4 nights, two adults · Off-grid cabins with kitchens, showers and woodburners on Hillis Gate Road, open all year. About 4 km from the festival; drive and park at Cowes Enterprise College.
Cabins
from £130/night
ViewNo campsites match all of those.
Northwood House, a Grade II* listed Georgian house in a 20-acre park on Ward Avenue, is the main venue and the weekend box office. Talks are held in its painted rooms. St Mary's Church is about two minutes' walk away, and some events use Cowes Enterprise College, the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Island Sailing Club, which hosts the annual Fizz Quiz.
The 2026 festival had more than 40 speakers, including Clare Balding, Ann Cleeves and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, alongside food talks, wine and whisky tastings and a writers' marketplace. Tickets go on sale in August through the festival website or the box office on 0333 666 3366, and the popular talks sell out, so book your events before you book your pitch.
Northwood House is in West Cowes, under a kilometre's walk from the Red Jet terminal, so it is easy to reach as a foot passenger from Southampton. Southern Vectis route 1 runs between Newport and Cowes about every 10 minutes in the daytime, via Northwood, for campsites on the Newport side. See campsites near the Red Jet and the East Cowes car ferry.
Cowes Enterprise College, about 200 metres from the Northwood rotunda entrance, has a large car park and seven blue badge bays. A festival buggy runs around the Northwood site for anyone who needs help getting between venues. In 2026 Red Funnel offered festival foot passenger returns at £14 for an adult day return and £23 for a period return, and Wightlink took 20% off fares to the Island during the festival.
Waverley Park in East Cowes is open all year and the closest site, about 1.4 km away across the Medina on the Floating Bridge. Its bar and restaurant are open all year too. For glamping, the Ark Park at Northwood is open until 31 October and Tiny Homes Holidays all year. If you can come over earlier, the Isle of Wight Marathon starts in Cowes on Sunday 3 October 2027. See all campsites in Cowes.
The 2027 dates have not been announced. The festival runs Thursday to Sunday in early October, and was 8 to 11 October in 2026, so Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 October 2027 is likely.
The main venue is Northwood House, Ward Avenue, Cowes. Events are also held at St Mary's Church next door, Cowes Enterprise College, the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Island Sailing Club.
Tickets go on sale in August through the festival website, or by phone on 0333 666 3366. Northwood House is the box office over the festival weekend. Popular talks sell out, so book early.
Cowes Enterprise College, about 200 metres from Northwood House, has a large car park and seven blue badge bays. A festival buggy helps people get around the Northwood site.
In 2026 Red Funnel offered festival foot passenger returns at £14 for an adult day return and £23 for a period return, and Wightlink offered 20% off fares to the Island. Check the festival website for 2027 offers.
Waverley Park Holiday Centre, about 0.9 miles away as the crow flies.
Waverley Park Holiday Centre, from £13 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.
4 of the 7: Waverley Park Holiday Centre, Comforts Farm, The Hydeaway and The Ark Park.
Yes: Waverley Park Holiday Centre and Tiny Homes Holidays.
Yes, at Comforts Farm, The Hydeaway and The Ark Park. Most want fires in a raised pit, not on the ground.
