For one weekend every June, I get the chance to properly let my hair down.

Living on the Isle of Man has plenty of advantages: stunning scenery, a strong sense of community and a thriving music scene.

I've been to festivals across the UK over the years, with tickets often costing between £300 and £400, if not more. So, when Full Moon Festival 2026 came around, I began meticulously planning my outfits - as we all know, festival fashion has very few rules.

The event has often been described as a mini-Glastonbury.

I've never been fortunate enough to make it to the UK's biggest festival, but based on the atmosphere alone, I can understand the comparison.

Last year I was lucky enough to sleep in a friend's campervan. This year was a little different.

Loading the car with a blow-up mattress, duvet, pillow and plenty of optimism, we set off on the short 15-minute drive to Rosehill Farm.

Organiser Scotty Bradshaw and his team made arriving straightforward, with staff on hand to direct traffic, answer questions and sympathise with those of us attempting to carry far too much luggage across the campsite.

By the time we pitched our tent, the festival was already in full swing. Groups of friends were catching up, music drifted across the site and the familiar green wristbands signalled the start of three days away from everyday life.

In typical Manx fashion, my carefully planned outfits never arrived.

I wasn't going to let that stop me exploring the different tents spread across the farm.

House? Techno? Drum and bass? Maybe something funkier?

There was also live music, alongside a wellness village for those looking for something a little more relaxing.

One of the things I enjoy most about Full Moon Festival - aside from three days of music and the luxury of being just 15 minutes from home and a hot bath - is the platform it gives local performers.

People I know, people my family know and complete strangers all come together through a shared love of music.

There's something genuinely uplifting about the atmosphere Full Moon creates.

Some people don't quite understand it, but sometimes 10 minutes on a dancefloor can do wonders for your mood.

I was born in 2001, which means I missed the 1990s dance music scene altogether.

I've heard plenty about that era and the impact it had on house music and electronic dance culture.

Moving between the stages over the weekend felt like catching a glimpse of it.

Nothing can replace the original, but hearing those classic tracks surrounded by people who experienced them first time around felt special.

Everyone shared the dancefloor without worrying what they looked like or who might be watching.

For one weekend, nothing else seemed to matter.

Full Moon Festival 2026 proved once again why it has become one of the highlights of the island's summer calendar.