Manx guitarist Davy Knowles is set to return to the island for a special headline show during TT 2026.

He will take to the Gaiety Theatre stage on Wednesday, June 3, accompanied by the band he records and tours with in the United States where he is now based.

Speaking about the show, Davy said the Gaiety remains a deeply meaningful venue for him.

'The Gaiety has always been the pinnacle for me, the dream of a kid from Port St Mary,' he said.

'Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to play it many times, and it truly feels like a spiritual home.

'There’s no complacency though, the feeling of wonder as I walk on and look out from the stage takes me right back to the dreams I had as a kid.

'It’s humbling, and a great honour every single time.'

He added that the concert will mark the start of his third European tour of the year and will see him bring his US band to the island for the first time.

'For this really special gig I’ll be bringing my band from the States over.

'Mike Hansen and Tod Bowers are two incredible and inspiring musicians that I’ve known almost since the very beginning of my adventures in the US,' he said.

'After all this time and all of the touring we’ve done together, the band has grown into something truly special - something I’m immensely proud of.

'After hearing me enthuse about the homeland for so long, they can’t wait to experience the Isle of Man.'

Tickets for the show go on sale on Thursday (January 29) at 10am, via www.villagaiety.com/davyknowles or through the VillaGaiety Box Office on 600555.

Support for the evening will be announced in due course.

Davy was last back in the island earlier this month, at the Centenary Centre in Peel for a three-night run with Band of Friends, including Rory Gallagher’s original touring band members Gerry McAvoy and Brendan O’Neill.

That performance came just weeks after Knowles received the prestigious Global Ambassador Award at Media Isle of Man’s Awards for Excellence in November, where he described the honour as 'surreal' and was visibly overwhelmed by the reaction from the Royal Hall crowd.

The performance also followed a difficult festive period for the guitarist.

Before Christmas, Davy shared the sad news that his mother Janet had passed away, writing at the time that it had been 'a strange and sad season,' adding that music would be a healer as he returned to touring with Band of Friends.

That emotion wasn’t far from the surface in Peel.

Speaking to Island Life, he admitted that playing back home carries a weight that’s different from anywhere else in the world.

'For me personally, because of my connection to the Isle of Man, it’s kind of emotional to play,' he said.

'There’s a lot of people in that audience that were mentors of mine… even if it wasn’t in a musical fashion, it was in the support. They were at the gigs when I was a teenager.'