This year is already shaping up to be a busy and varied year at Peel Centenary Centre.

The venue, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, has already secured island blues star Davy Knowles as well as a musician from Guinea known as the Jimi Hendrix of the kora.

Dave McLean told Island Life: ‘Once again, this year is shaping up to be as busy as ever, with a wide ranging spectrum of artists all wanting to come to the Centenary Centre.

‘Everything from African music to adult panto, from folk to rock, and all areas in between.

‘We are still talking to some agents and many of our shows are not advertised yet, so please sign up to our Facebook page, so you can be the first to know what’s happening.’

Island blues star Davy Knowles will be playing at the Centenary Centre on April 17, supported by Pigs on The Wing.

The concert is a fundraiser for the Manx Wildlife Trust.

Dave explained: ‘We had been discussing organising a fundraiser for one of the Lieutenant Governor’s charities for a while.

‘I knew Davy was coming to the island and he generously offered to play a set for us and I asked Pigs on the Wing if they were up for it as well, and they also very generously offered to join in.

‘I thought the event was great value but I also knew that Davy was doing a gig at the Gaiety, so I wasn’t sure how quickly our show would sell.

‘We were amazed that it sold out within a few hours.’

Some tickets have become available for the sold out event, A Guide to the Folklore Sites of the Isle of Man, which is named after the new book of the same name.

It’s a chance to hear the book’s authors, James Franklin, Katie Newton and Sam Hudson discuss the background of the project and process for creating it, as well as sharing some of their favourite and telling sites.

They include holy wells, fairy caves, giant’s rocks, ghost bridges and the creepiest places the authors have ever visited.

The illustrated talk takes place at the Centenary Centre on Wednesday next week (January 31), 7.30pm to 8.30pm, and will be followed by a reception. Tickets cost £5.

Burlesque Isle of Man are back for one night only to provide an evening of fun, frou-frou and feathers.

The show takes place on Saturday next week (February 3), from 8pm. Tickets cost £20.

Only a few tickets remain to see world-renowned Griot master musician and multi-instrumentalist N’Faly Kouyate, who is performing at venues across the British Isles as part of his Re-Generation tour.

He’s being brought over by Our Island Our World and will be performing at the venue on Saturday, February 10. N’Faly is best known as a core member of Afro Celt Sound System and as the ‘Jimi Hendrix of the kora’, an instrument that combines features of the harp and lute.

His solo project pioneers a new style, Afrotronix, a mixture of polyphony and electronic music with traditional instruments.

N’Faly received a very traditional and rigorous musical education in Guinea before training at the conservatory in his second homeland, Belgium.

Meanwhile, Triskel Promotions’ penultimate show before director Lenny Conroy winds down the operation, will feature an unsigned Indie band from Edinburgh who play alternative rock with a Celtic twang.

Lenny described Wrest as a tight four-piece who bring their own sound but have tinges of influence from the likes of Frightened Rabbit, The National, Idlewild, Snow Patrol and Bright Eyes.

‘Astonishingly, the band are still unsigned and do all their self promotion almost entirely on social media,’ he said. ‘They are selling out shows all over Europe as well as up and down the country.’

Supporting Wrest is Jamie Blackburn. The concert takes place on Saturday, March 2.

Buy tickets at buytickets.at/triskel/105145

Blue John Media and Power On Music will present an evening of acoustic music at the Centenary Centre on Saturday, March 9.

Acoustic Delight will feature four acts showcasing a range of different styles, Jon Lightfield, John Gregory, Paul Reynolds and When Kelly Met Nelly.

It follows on from the success of last year’s inaugural sold out Acoustic Delight which was held in the Atholl Room. The event, sponsored by D6 strings, starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8 from etickets.im/bjm

And Manx singer John Watterson will perform The Songs of Jake Thackray on Saturday, May 18.

He’s been described in a review by Ralph McTell as ‘a proper tribute’, adding: ‘Jake’s songs are in safe hands.’

John is performing free of charge with all the profits being donated to Hospice Isle of Man. Tickets cost £15.

Friday Folk Nights take place fortnightly throughout the winter and have proved to be popular.

The next concert, on Friday next week (February 2) will feature Ruby Biscoe-Taylor and Matt Kelly.

And there is a full programme of films on Wednesdays, alternating with Peel Heritage Trust.

The next Films in Peel screening is Oppehenheimer on February 14.

Meanwhile, the community venue hosts The Rock Project on Monday evenings, for young musicians aged seven to 18 to learn to be in a band.

A weekly art group meets on Tuesdays and there’s yoga on Wednesdays.

Rehearsals for groups’ upcoming dramatic productions are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Buy tickets for Centenary Centre events online at www.etickets.im/cc