Over 50 free and affordable events at the Isle of Wight Biosphere Festival this weekend (updated)

Last updated:25, June 2024

This coming weekend sees the very first Biosphere Festival take place on the Isle of Wight – celebrating the Island’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.

There are more than 50 free or low cost events for adults and children to take part in, from talks, walks and workshops to community events and creative activities.

The festival has been produced by the Isle of Wight Biosphere in partnership with Creative Island, supported by The Common Space and Isle of Wight National Landscape.

Visit the Biosphere Hub
Quay Arts in Newport will be playing host as the Biosphere Hub over the weekend, and Wildheart Animal Sanctuary’s FOCAS Festival incorporates many other related events.

Check out the listings
OnTheWight’s events site is not working at the moment (☹️), so as our support for the Biosphere Festival we’ve added all the 50+ events individually as event features through OnTheWight.

The weekend is jammed full of informative, thought-provoking, exciting, interesting, and inspiring events.

If you haven’t planned your weekend yet, check out the list below

_Saturday 29th June

Central (Newport area)

10.00-17.00 Biosphere hub at Quay Arts Centre: workshops, talks and performances FREE
10.00-11.00 Nightlife in Daylight – identifying moths at Carisbrooke Priory FREE
10.00-15.00 Treating Plants Kindly with IOW Youth Trust FREE
10.00-16.00 Platform One Sustainable Fashion Concept Store: Exhibition, workshops and shops at P1 Wadhams FREE
10.00-16.30 Biosphere Creative Drop-in Day and Consultation – under 25s with Independent Arts and Artswork FREE
14.00-14.45 and 15.00-15.45 A Witness to Change: St Mary’s church tour with Richard Smout FREE
14.30-16.30 Make a biosphere in a jar (aged 5+) at Lord Louis Library, Newport FREE but booking required
19.30 Swift Walk in Newport with Wight Swifts and the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society FREE

North East Wight

8.30 Esprit Freedivers underwater safari at Seaview seagrass beds £40 booking required
10.00-12.00 Allotment Open Morning with Network Ryde FREE
10.00-13.00 Greener Futures: IW Mardi Gras family drop in workshop with New Carnival in Ryde FREE
10.00-14.00 Looking at Microplastics with Wightlink & the University of Portsmouth (on board St Clare) FREE for passengers
10.00-16.00 Marine Habitats with the University of Portsmouth and Wightlink at Western Gardens, Ryde FREE
10.00-16.00 Saturday sewing – drop in and make a tote bag at Ryde Library FREE
10.00-17.00 Sustainable Fashion by Holly Maslen, hosted at Jo Hummel’s Artist Studio in Bembridge FREE
11.00-13.00 Creating habitats for wildlife in Riboleau Community Garden FREE
11.00-13.00 Kidical Mass Bike Ride with Cycle Wight through Ryde FREE

South East Wight

9.30-17.00 FOCAS FEST – Focus on Conservation and Science Festival at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary £2.50 booking required
10.00-16.00 Brading Roman Villa Biosphere Nature Trail £2
10.30-11.30 Bee craft – create cute bees to take home (aged 4+) at Sandown Library FREE
11.00-15.00 Family Fun at Branstone Biosphere Day with National Landscapes and friends FREE but booking preferred

South Wight

9.00 Planet Aware beach clean at Watershoot Bay FREE but booking required
9.30-16.30 Nature-themed scavenger hunt at Ventnor Library FREE
10.30-13.00 Arty Walk: sketch colourful memories along Ventnor Coast Path with Lucia Para £12.50 booking required
12.00-15.30 Discover Munsley Bog community picnic with Godshill Matters FREE
17.00-18.30 Wilding: documentary film about the Knepp rewilding transformation at Ventnor Arts Club £9.12 booking required
19.30-21.00 Wilding: documentary film about the Knepp rewilding transformation at Ventnor Arts Club £9.12 booking required

West Wight

Anytime Giant of Chale: Become an Island Biosphere History Detective with The Earth Museum FREE
10.00-11.30 Make a pop-up butterfly card at Freshwater Library FREE
10.00-12.00 National Trust: Newtown Wellbeing Walk at Newtown National Nature Reserve FREE
14.00-16.00 Earth Museum tours for Biosphere Festival FREE

North Wight (Cowes area)

10.00-12.00 Habitats Lego Challenge at Cowes Library FREE
13.00-16.00 Moorgreen Allotment open Day and Biodiversity Chat FREE
14.00-15.00 The Great Oaks of Northwood Park walk with Cowes Tree Warden FREE
14.00-16.00 ‘Create an IOW animal’ drawing craft activity (aged 5+) Cowes Library FREE
19.00-21.00 THE FIGLET Literary Magazine Launch Event at Medina Bookshop FREE
19.30-21.00 ‘Under the Tree’ an evening of stories celebrating trees at Northwood House £7 booking required

_Sunday 30th June