Cowes Week

1 – 7 August 2026
Cowes

Cowes Week is one of the country’s longest running and biggest sporting events. It’s also perhaps the world’s most famous sailing regatta.

Since being founded in 1826, the best yachtsmen and yachts have visited the Island every year to compete. Many celebrities and even royalty take part or spectate. More than 8,000 sailors participate, ranging from Olympic champions to everyday weekend yachtsmen.

Racing itself is set in the challenging waters of the Solent and starts from the iconic Cowes Castle, home to the Royal Yacht Squadron with its distinctive display of brass cannons that are fired as the starting guns.

Of course, you don’t have to own a yacht or be a sailor to enjoy Cowes Week. The town is full of colour and entertainment throughout the week during the daytime and into the evening, so there is always plenty to see and do.

When is Cowes Week 2024

The Cowes Week dates are 1 – 7 August 2026. Sailors of all abilities will compete in over 40 different classes with each day of the event hosting plenty of exciting regatta racing to watch, as well as opportunities to soak in the party atmosphere.

In addition to the boats, there is lots going on for spectators at a number of venues, including live music and family activities.

Getting to Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight is simple with Wightlink. Our routes to both Fishbourne (from Portsmouth) and Ryde (from Portsmouth Harbour) will drop you within a short bus or taxi ride of the event. You may even get to start the Cowes Week experience early, by watching the competitor boats heading for Cowes during the crossing across the Solent!

Once you’re in Cowes, there are several ways you can get to the heart of the action. If you’d prefer to stay close to the fun on land, you’ll want to find a good boat-watching spot along the shore. The best vantage point is probably between the Castle of the Royal Yacht Squadron and the cannons. From here, you can see the start of the races.

As the day progresses, head along to Egypt Point to see the winners come in. If you can’t find a spot in these places, don’t worry – the regatta is big, so you’re sure to catch plenty of the action no matter where you stand.