Rumours have been flying around for years about the future of Smallbrook as the location of the main hub at the Isle of Wight scooter rally. Developers have been hovering, and if Smallbrook were to be used next year then there would only be 50% of the land available which is not nearly enough to accommodate the thousands of scooterists who attend. With this uncertainty in mind the VFM collective have made a major announcement today.
After 20 years at Smallbrook it’s time for a change. The new venue will be Sandown Airport, in the south east corner of the island. The new site offers a huge camping area, easy site access and is very close to Sandown seafront and all that has to offer. As usual they will lay on shuttle buses over the weekend to ferry scooterists into town and back again.
Plans are underway to organise all the entertainment, dealers and everything else that goes into a rally of this scale, the biggest in the world.
Personally, I think this is a great move. The Isle of Wight holds a very special place in my heart and I would be gutted if the August bank holiday took me anywhere else. But having gone to Smallbrook every year since 2000, a change is definitely as good as a rest. Rallies get a bit samey, sometimes, even when the location is perfect. I’m a creature of habit so it will be really nice to mix it up a bit, check out some new bars, cafes and ice cream parlours in Sandown.
This is a brave decision but I’m confident it’s the right move, and will prove to be a massive success.
My comprehensive guide to the Isle of Wight scooter rally will include all the information as it is released, including bands, prices and links to get tickets. Do bookmark it for reference over the forthcoming months.
If you want to book accommodation in Sandown then there’s plenty of choice – check out deals on Booking.com here.
Rally Guides
Rally Guides
If you’re planning your scootering calendar for 2021 then check out my 2021 Rally Guide to get the best choice of accommodation.
For an in-depth guide to the biggest scooter rally in the world, here is a link to my Isle of Wight rally guide.
This is brilliant news. Sandown held the rally in the late 80s and has always continued to support the event each year. With hundreds always staying in Sandown it seems like the correct place to bring it back to.
The town will support the event as it always does.
Great news..
Thanks for reading, Jon, and I agree. Merry Christmas!