Festival of Motorcycling
Can’t get to the TT? The Festival of Motorcycling in late August or early September is your backup plan. It’s on the same Mountain Course, still world-class racing, just with a slightly different vibe.
Big with the classic bike crowd, it’s got a more chilled atmosphere than the madness of TT fortnight. There’s still incredible racing though, and absolutely worth staying over for. Why would you rush back when you could make a proper weekend of it?
Beer Festival and Other Bits
Not everything here involves motorbikes or running shoes, thank god. The Douglas Beer Festival is always popular, the Queenie Festival is great if you’ve got kids, and there’s actually some decent cultural stuff going on too.
The Literature Festival brings in bestselling authors, and the Film Festival in September gets some really interesting screenings, with directors and industry people turning up for Q&As. These things run over weekends, so you can spend Saturday at author talks or film screenings, then have a nice evening in Douglas without stressing about getting home.
It makes the whole thing more enjoyable when you’re not constantly checking ferry times or worrying about flights.
Just Stay, Seriously
Here’s the reality: getting to the Isle of Man takes ages. Whether you’re flying or on the ferry, you’re already losing hours of your day just travelling. At that point, why not stay over and actually enjoy yourself?
You can have a drink without panicking about driving or catching the last boat, you can see more of the island beyond just whatever event you came for and you can actually relax instead of spending the whole time watching the clock.
We’re obviously biased at Opul Solutions because we want you to stay in our places, but honestly, it just makes the experience better. The island’s got lots of great accommodation, from fancy hotels to little B&Bs, and most of it’s dead easy to get to from wherever the event is.
These events aren’t just “stuff happening on a small island.” The TT is legendary worldwide, the running festival attracts serious athletes from everywhere and the cultural events punch way above their weight. They deserve more than a rushed visit where you’re stressed the whole time.
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 in the Isle Of Man, you’ll thank us!
