What's on in Douglas, Isle of Man through the year

Quiet — school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Heritage sites shut for winter (1 Nov – 25 Mar (usually)), Winter gales and ferry cancellations (15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Heritage sites shut for winter (1 Nov – 25 Mar (usually)), Winter gales and ferry cancellations (15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually))

Busy — Easter Festival of Running, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Easter Festival of Running

  20 Mar – 25 Apr · usuallySporting eventCrowded

  Three days of races over Easter weekend: a 10km between Port Erin and Port St Mary, hill races at Peel, and a 5km and relay along the Douglas promenade, with a beer race to finish. Source ↗

Still on: Heritage sites shut for winter (1 Nov – 25 Mar (usually))

Busy — Easter Festival of Running, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Manx Music Festival (The Guild)

  22 Apr – 5 May · usually

  The island's long-running music, speech and dance competition fills the Villa Marina for about eight days around the turn of April and May, with sessions open to the public. Source ↗

Still on: Easter Festival of Running (20 Mar – 25 Apr (usually))

Busy — Isle of Man TT, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  Basking shark season

  15 May – 15 Aug · usuallyDive season

  Basking sharks feed close inshore on calm summer days, mostly along the south and south-west coast within easy reach of Douglas, with June and July the likeliest months. Source ↗

• Festival

  Isle of Man TT

  25 May – 8 Jun · usuallyMotorsport weekendCrowdedBook earlyClosures

  Around a fortnight from the late-May bank holiday: practice week, then race week on 37 miles of public road that shut in the morning and reopen in the evening. Tens of thousands come; boats and beds go a year ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Manx Music Festival (The Guild) (22 Apr – 5 May (usually))

Busy — Isle of Man TT, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Parish Walk

  15–25 Jun · usuallySporting event

  An 85-mile walk past all 17 parish churches inside 24 hours, held on the weekend nearest midsummer; up to 2,000 walkers start and much of the island turns out along the route through the night. Source ↗

Still on: Basking shark season (15 May – 15 Aug (usually)), Isle of Man TT (25 May – 8 Jun (usually))

Busy — Tynwald Day, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Tynwald Day

  6 JulNational holidayClosures

  The island's national day, held out at St John's rather than in Douglas: the year's laws read aloud in Manx and English on an open-air mound, then a fair. Moves to the Monday when 5 July is a weekend. Source ↗

Still on: Basking shark season (15 May – 15 Aug (usually))

Busy — Manx Grand Prix, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Manx Grand Prix

  16 Aug – 5 Sep · usuallyMotorsport weekendCrowdedClosures

  The same Mountain Course at the end of August, run for amateurs and newcomers and with the classic bikes alongside. Far less pressure on rooms than the TT, and the same road closures to plan around. Source ↗

Still on: Basking shark season (15 May – 15 Aug (usually))

Busy — Manx Grand Prix, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Big Manx Feast

  19–20 SepFood & drink festival

  The island's food and drink festival, revived under this name at Noble's Park in Douglas, with Manx producers, chef demonstrations and local music over a September weekend. Source ↗

Still on: Manx Grand Prix (16 Aug – 5 Sep (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Festival

  Hop-tu-Naa

  31 OctMajor festival

  The Manx Celtic new year on 31 October: children carry carved turnip lanterns door to door singing the Hop-tu-Naa song, older than the Halloween it now shares a night with. Source ↗

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Closure

  Heritage sites shut for winter

  1 Nov – 25 Mar · usually

  Manx National Heritage runs the Great Laxey Wheel, Castle Rushen, Peel Castle and Cregneash on a seasonal basis, roughly April to October, and the steam and electric railways and the horse trams stop too. Winter visits are walks and pubs. Source ↗

• Hazard

  Winter gales and ferry cancellations

  15 Nov – 28 Feb · usuallyWinter storms & gales

  Irish Sea gales regularly push conditions past port limits, and the Steam Packet cancels Liverpool and Heysham sailings at short notice. Build a spare day into any winter trip that relies on the ferry. Source ↗

Quiet — school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Heritage sites shut for winter (1 Nov – 25 Mar (usually)), Winter gales and ferry cancellations (15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually))