The Guild starts at the weekend.

The 127th Manx Music, Speech and Dance Festival will include more than 1,300 wide-ranging entries have been received for the ’Guild’ from Saturday, April 27, until Saturday, May 4, predominantly at the Villa Marina.

Final preparations are now under way for the 2019 event, which will involve more than 4,000 competitors, showcasing their talent in music, speech and dance.

Among the new additions this year are an adult stand-up comedy class, the introduction of a set of news reading classes and an adult group dance class.

The popular character study has been renamed as ’monologue’, while children’s Manx spoken word classes will now include standard English as well as dialect.

Chairman of the Guild Eric Quirk said: ’We are really looking forward to the start of the festival and hope it will continue to grow from strength-to-strength.

’Every year our adjudicators, who fly into the island, comment on the outstanding talent they see and hear. Many of them enjoy the week so much they ask to return. It truly is a very special festival and we will be celebrating our past and looking towards the future with pride.

’On behalf of the Festival I would like to, once again, thank our sponsor Dandara for its continued support as we celebrate the finest music, speech and dance in the Isle of Man.’

The Guild Programme, costing £5, is available now from shops around the island.

The final weekend of the festival will feature both the Cleveland Medal Test on Friday, May 3, and the choir concert classes on Saturday, May 4, at the Villa Marina’s Royal Hall, events which are sure to draw large crowds.

Season tickets are available from the Villa Marina box office at a cost of £35 for entry to all sessions during the week. General admission for morning sessions will be £4, evening sessions £5 and entry is free for under 18s.

Songs from the Musicals night entry is £8, Cleveland Medal Contest night is £10, with half price for under 18s.

The festival is sponsored by property developer Dandara.