The 50th anniversary edition of the Mananan Festival is set to take place from June 29 to July 4 at the Erin Arts Centre, marking a milestone year for the Isle of Man’s annual celebration of arts and culture with a diverse programme spanning music, film, dance and theatre.

Opening the festival on Monday, June 29 is the Roscoe Piano Trio, featuring pianist Martin Roscoe alongside violinist Fenella Humphreys and cellist Jessica Burroughs.

The trio will perform a programme of established chamber works, including pieces by Mozart, Dvořák and Beethoven. Roscoe, a long-standing favourite of the festival, brings a career spanning more than five decades, with an extensive repertoire and regular appearances at major UK venues.

Tuesday’s programme, titled Ashlishyn Noa (New Visions), focuses on new work by Isle of Man-based artists.

Highlights include excerpts from Drogh Vraane, a forthcoming folk opera written in Manx Gaelic by Aalin Clague. A short film by Shannen Maria Samuel will also be presented, exploring themes of identity and migration between the Isle of Man and London.

Composer Matthew Warren will debut a piece examining the musicality of spoken Manx language using archival recordings, while Mannin Youth Dance Company will premiere a newly commissioned performance.

On Wednesday, Cornish performer Seamas Carey will bring his interactive show ‘Community Service’ to the festival.

The production blends comedy, music and audience participation, centring on a fictional attempt to build a functioning community within a limited timeframe. Carey’s work is known for addressing themes such as belonging and social cohesion through humour and performance.

Thursday features the Irish vocal ensemble Landless, who specialise in unaccompanied traditional singing. The group, composed of Ruth Clinton, Méabh Meir, Sinéad Lynch and Lily Power, performs material drawn from Irish and wider folk traditions.

Jazz takes centre stage on Friday with the Dan Forshaw Quartet presenting ‘Coltrane 100’, marking the centenary of influential saxophonist John Coltrane. Led by saxophonist Dan Forshaw, the performance will explore Coltrane’s musical legacy and influence on modern jazz.

The concert combines live performance with insights drawn from Forshaw’s academic research into Coltrane’s work.

The festival concludes on Saturday with a performance by Manx band Biskee Brisht. The group will perform their second album, Treading Water / Brebbal Ushtey, a dual-language release in English and Manx Gaelic.

The album, developed over four years, addresses themes including adulthood, mental health and cultural identity, and aligns with 2026’s designation as the Year of the Manx Language.

A spokesperson from the Mananan Festival commented: ‘Our annual celebration of the arts is 50 this year, and we've assembled a thrilling and varied programme to celebrate the occasion.

‘We hope that everyone will find something to love here, so come down and help us celebrate this incredible landmark of our special, intimate festival.’

Every event during the week-long celebration will take place at the Erin Arts Centre in Port Erin.

To find out more about each event and book tickets, you can visit https://www.erinartscentre.com/events/