We really get it at Opul Solutions… the Isle of Man might seem small, but some of the stuff happening here is absolutely huge. And honestly, if you’re coming over for certain events, you’d be daft to try and squeeze it all into a day trip.
Here are the ones where booking a room just makes sense:
TT Races (Obviously)
Come on, we had to start here. The TT runs from late May into early June, and if you think you can do this justice in a day, you’re having a laugh. Practice week starts on the Bank Holiday Monday, then there’s racing spread across nearly two weeks, building up to the Senior TT.
The whole island goes absolutely crazy during TT. There are bands playing everywhere, the pubs are rammed till all hours and the buzz is just insane. You’ll want to catch multiple race days, wander the paddock, maybe watch from different parts of the course. One day barely scratches the surface.
Fair warning though: book your room about six months ahead because the place fills up fast. Everyone and their dog wants to be here for TT, and accommodation disappears quicker than you’d believe.
Easter Festival of Running
This one’s a belter if you’re into running. Three races over three days in April, all in different spots around the island. Friday night you’ve got a 10km in Port Erin, Saturday afternoon there’s racing in Peel, then Sunday morning wraps up with a 5km along Douglas Prom.
Universities and running clubs from all over the UK make this a tradition. Of course, it’s competitive but also really social. People come back year after year, same groups, same rivalries, same banter.
Trying to do all three races as day trips would be ridiculous. You’d spend more time travelling than running. Stay over, enjoy the racing, have a few pints with your club afterwards and then wake up and do it again. That’s the whole point of it.
Southern 100
Think the TT’s the only bike racing worth bothering with? Not even close. The Southern 100 happens in July down at the Billown Circuit near Castletown, and it’s brilliant.
It’s smaller than the TT, bit more relaxed, but the racing’s just as intense. You can actually get close to the action in the paddock, chat to riders and see the bikes up close. There’s practice, qualifying, then race day itself, and you’ll want to be around for all of it.
Castletown is gorgeous as well. Stay somewhere down south, watch the racing, hit the pubs and explore the castle. It makes for a cracking weekend that isn’t just about bikes.
Have a look at what’s coming up, book somewhere to stay before it gets snatched up, and actually experience these events the way they’re meant to be experienced. You’ll get why people keep coming back.
And yeah, we might be a bit biased, but we’re also right. Stay the night, you’ll thank us!
