With just days to go until the Isle of Man once again echoes to the sound of racing engines, excitement is building ahead of the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races.

Thousands of visitors are expected to travel to the island over the coming weeks as qualifying and race week return, bringing with them the annual buzz, packed grandstands and increased traffic on roads around the Mountain Course.

Hotels, campsites and hospitality venues are preparing for one of the busiest periods of the year, while fans from across the globe get ready to witness the world’s most famous road races. The fortnight-long festival remains one of the island’s biggest annual events, attracting huge international attention and injecting millions of pounds into the Manx economy.

This year’s event will also see a number of changes aimed at improving flexibility during the race programme, with organisers hoping to minimise disruption caused by poor weather after several challenging race weeks in recent years.

Organisers have now confirmed the full schedule for TT 2026, including key changes to qualifying week, revised race timings and an expanded list of contingency periods designed to help deal with weather-related disruption.

Qualifying week officially begins on Monday, May 25, with untimed free practice sessions and the opening qualifying sessions taking place across the day.

As in previous years, the Mountain Road will close in phases before the full TT Course shuts.

The Mountain section will begin closing from 8.45am before the entire course closes from 10am.

A newcomer speed-controlled lap for solo and sidecar competitors gets proceedings underway at 10.45am, before untimed practice sessions for Supersport and Sportbike machines, Sidecars, and Superbike and Superstock classes.

Timed qualifying sessions begin later in the afternoon, with roads scheduled to reopen no later than 9.30pm.

Evening qualifying returns on Tuesday, May 26, with the Mountain Road beginning to close from 4.45pm and the full course shutting at 6pm.

Superbike and Superstock riders will be first on course at 6.30pm, followed by Supersport and Sportbike competitors and then the Sidecars.

One of the biggest changes for 2026 comes on Wednesday, May 27, with organisers introducing both daytime and evening qualifying sessions on the same day.

The full course will close from 12.30pm for Qualifying 3 before reopening temporarily at 4.30pm, although parts of the Mountain Road will remain shut.

The course will then close again from 6pm for Qualifying 4.

Thursday, May 28, has been designated as a full rest day, but crucially it will also serve as a major contingency day should poor weather affect earlier sessions.

Both daytime and evening contingency qualifying periods have been scheduled, giving organisers additional flexibility during practice week.

Final qualifying sessions are due to take place on Friday, May 29, with two separate qualifying windows across the day.

The full Mountain Course will shut at 10am, with all roads reopening no later than 4.30pm.

The schedule for TT 2026 also sees changes during race week itself, with the opening race day taking place on Saturday, May 30.

The RL360 Superstock TT Race 1 will launch race week at 10.45am over three laps, before the Motul Sidecar TT Race 1 begins at 1.30pm.

All roads reopen no later than 9.30pm.

Formerly Mad Sunday, May 31, features the blue-riband RST Superbike TT Race over six laps, with roads around the course closing from 12.30pm.

Roads reopen no later than 6.30pm.

Monday, June 1, has been set aside as a rest day but also acts as a contingency day, with both daytime and evening racing windows available if required.

Racing resumes on Tuesday, June 2, with all roads closing at 10am before the Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1 gets underway at 10.45am.

A sidecar shakedown lap follows before the inaugural Carole Nash Sportbike TT Race 1 takes place at 2.15pm.

A solo practice lap is also scheduled later that afternoon before roads reopen by 5pm.

Wednesday, June 3, sees the second Motul Sidecar TT Race followed by the RL360 Superstock TT Race 2, along with another evening solo practice session.

All roads around the Snaefell Mountain Course shut at 10am, with roads reopening no later than 5pm.

Thursday, June 4, is another scheduled rest and contingency day, allowing organisers further flexibility if weather impacts the race programme.

The final Friday of TT fortnight, which falls on the island’s TT Bank Holiday, includes the second Monster Energy Supersport TT Race and the second Carole Nash Sportbike TT Race.

A Senior TT practice lap is then scheduled for 4pm ahead of the festival finale, with roads reopening no later than 9.30pm.

Everything then builds towards Saturday, June 6, when the curtain comes down on TT 2026 with the Milwaukee Senior TT over six laps.

Roads around the TT Course will close from 10am, with the race itself getting underway at 11am.

This is just in case things don’t go to plan, a contingency day with roads around the island closed from 12.30pm if needed.

Officials are also reminding residents and visitors that the published road closure times represent maximum closure periods and that roads may reopen earlier depending on racing and operational requirements.

The A18 Mountain Road will once again operate as a one-way system from Ramsey Hairpin to the Creg-ny-Baa from 4.30pm on Friday, May 22, until 9.30am on Tuesday, June 9.