A delegation from the Isle of Man will travel to Brittany this August to take part in the 54th Festival Interceltique de Lorient (FIL), the world’s largest celebration of Celtic culture.

Running from Friday August 1 to Sunday August 10 2025, the festival is expected to attract nearly a million visitors to the city of Lorient.

This year’s theme, Les Cousins d’Amérique, shines a spotlight on the Celtic diaspora across the Atlantic.

The Isle of Man has been a proud participant in the festival for over 40 years, showcasing its unique music, dance, and cultural traditions alongside other Celtic nations.

This year’s Manx delegation includes the performing arts group Skeealyn Vannin, the folk group Smooinaght Mie, Manx DJ Çheumooie, and visual artist Rosie Watson, who will exhibit her work at the Euroceltic Art Exhibition.

Father and son Frank Joughin and Jamie Smith will also form part of the Manx delegation.

In addition to the delegation, several Manx performers will appear in other parts of the festival programme.

Isla Callister will feature in the Celtic Odyssée #4, a collaborative production bringing together musicians from across the Celtic world.

Daniel Quayle and Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe will also perform as part of the wider festival line-up.

Grainney Sheard and Ealee Sheard will represent the Isle of Man as delegates throughout the festival.

Talking about the festival, Grainney commented: ‘The Festival Interceltique de Lorient continues to be an important platform for promoting the Isle of Man on an international stage.

‘It offers a valuable opportunity for our performers to share Manx culture with new audiences, build connections with other Celtic nations, and take part in a wider cultural conversation that spans continents.

‘The Festival Interceltique de Lorient remains a major platform for cultural exchange and artistic collaboration, and the Isle of Man’s presence continues to be a valued part of the festival.’

The Festival Interceltique de Lorient was founded in 1971 in Brittany, France, and is now the largest Celtic festival in the world.

It attracts around 850,000 visitors annually and features over 4,500 artists from across the Celtic nations.

The Isle of Man has maintained a regular presence at the festival, with hundreds of Manx performers, artists and cultural ambassadors having taken part over the past four decades.

The festivities includes concerts, parades, exhibitions, workshops and cultural exchanges, and provides a major platform for showcasing the music, dance, language and traditions of the Celtic nations.

Speaking after the conclusion of last year’s festival, Grainney said: ‘We are so very proud of what our delegation has achieved in the past week. Each and every one of our delegation is a credit to our island.

‘It has truly been a privilege to bring so many talented artists and performers to showcase Manx culture at this international festival.’

To find out more about the festival, you can visit https://www.festival-interceltique.bzh/.

You can also follow the Isle of Man delegation on Instagram and Facebook at @mannin_fil.