Cooish Vooar returns with its biggest year yet as the Manx language festival coincides with Blein ny Gaelgey - Year of the Manx Language.

It will return later this year taking place between September 25 and 29.

The Cooish began life as Feailley Ghaelgagh, simply meaning ‘Manx Language Festival’, first taking place in 1995. This will be the 29th iteration of the festival.

The festival will feature five days of concerts, events, activities and cultural experiences for all ages and language abilities.

From complete beginners to confident speakers, the event aims to be inclusive for everyone.

Coordinated by Culture Vannin in partnership with Jeebin, the Manx Language Network, and community groups across the island, the festival has been renamed ‘Cooish Vooar’ for 2026.

While cooish means a ‘friendly chat or cosy gathering’, vooar means ‘big’ in Manx, reflecting the expanded scale of this year's celebrations.

The festival will kick off with the premiere of Caillagh, the world's first-ever Manx language opera, marking a significant milestone in the development of Manx language arts.

The weekend will see a vibrant programme of beginner-friendly language sessions, concerts, workshops, lectures and community activities, culminating in a special headline InterGaelic concert by acclaimed Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis and her quartet, Allt, at the Gaiety Theatre on Tuesday, September 29.

Tiffany Kerruish, Culture Vannin's Year of the Manx Language coordinator, said: ‘As part of Blein ny Gaelgey, we wanted to create the biggest and most ambitious Cooish yet. Holding the festival in September means the language can be experienced alongside many of the island's other unique cultural experiences, from museums and historic sites to heritage transport.

We hope this will encourage more people, both locally and from further afield, to experience Manx as a living language that remains an important part of Island life today and inspire them to engage with it and become part of its future.’

The festival is made possible through the headline sponsorship of Island Escapes and with support from the government Domestic Event Fund, which supports Culture Vannin’s wider Year of the Manx Language events programme.

Tickets are now available for three flagship Cooish Vooar events, offering an early glimpse of what promises to be the festival's biggest programme yet.

The full festival programme and line-up will be announced over the coming months.

Reflecting on the festival’s evolution, Ruth Keggin Gell, Culture Vannin’s Manx language development officer said: ‘The Cooish has become a much-loved fixture in the island's cultural calendar, bringing together complete beginners, learners and fluent speakers to celebrate the Isle of Man's indigenous language, Gaelg (Manx).

‘The festival’s welcoming atmosphere and varied programme make it easy for anyone to get involved, regardless of their experience of Manx. Cooish Vooar is a natural development for this special year, and we hope that even more people than ever will goaill ayrn - join in!’

Further programme announcements will be made over the coming weeks. To book tickets and keep up to date with the latest festival news, visit yearofmanx.im/events and follow @learnmanx on social media.