Six months after the island entered lockdown, Isle of Man Newspapers and our partners hosted an evening at a packed Gaiety dedicated to the spirit of community kindness.

Celebrating the sacrifices of the Manx people, the evening was made possible by 3FM, Manx Telecom, Microgaming, ThinkManx, Standard Bank, Keystone Law, PokerStars and the Isle of Man Government.

For those who filled the magnificent old theatre on Thursday, it was certainly a night they won’t forget in a hurry as some of the best entertainers in the island walked, danced and cycled the boards and videos reminded us all of this historic year.

The evening opened with a performance of Ellan Vannin by Olivia Landels before the excellent children of Skeddan Jiarg charmed the audience with their dancing.

Throughout the evening, performances from folk blues band Clash Voar and singing farmer Paul Costain and his fellow Cleveland Medal winners, before the sea dogs of the Mariners Choir brought the first half to a close.

Pink Floyd tribute band Pigs on the Wing opened up the second act and Dot Tilbury took to the stage with her shopping trolley full of toilet rolls. Dot introduced her special guest Chief Minister Howard Quayle for a sing song on a tandem bicycle, as they were flagged by cyclist Matt Cooil.

The Manx Bulgarian Project were next up, showing how music has brought two cultures together before Grace Templer performed the latest James Bond theme while a montage of clips from the films played.

David Killgallon & Co rocked the stage with their fiddles and Pigs on the Wing returned with Wish You Were Here.

The evening was crowned by fundraiser Dylan Walton who, along with police standard bearers, handed over a cheque to the hospice for the money he raised by walking up Snaefell.

Ellan Vannin Pipes and Drums rounded off the evening as they led the audience in O Land of Our Birth.

Isle of Man Newspapers deputy chairman Trudi Williamson said: ’I was extremely humbled to look back at where we were and see where we are now, it is truly incredible. We’re proud to have played our part in what has been a challenging year.’

Photos from the night from https://iomtoday.newsprints.co.uk/ and searching the code DK200924.