Flames and sparks lit up the night sky as champions of summer and winter battled it out for control of the seasons.

Peel was packed as the drama of Oie Voaldyn fire festival was played out on the beach.

Organiser John Shakespeare described the event as ‘amazing community celebration of things that are really Manx’.

He said numbers were up on last year and it was one of the best days for a lot of traders in Peel.

‘We are still processing the data and are doing a survey to try to gauge numbers and expenditure,’ he said.

The festival was staged as part of the Year of our Island celebrations in 2018.

It has grown to become a highlight of the island’s events calendar.

There are now more than 160 members of the groups that stage the fire festival which features an impressive cast of costumed performers, fire-spinners and the Voices of the Fire community choir.

One highlight of this year was the visit by Lerwick Jarl Squad, stars of the Up Helly Aa community fire festival in Shetland.

The festival, a reinterpretation of the traditional Manx May Eve custom, culminates in a staged battle between summer (sourey) and winter (guerey).

Parades representing both sides converged on the beach, where their champions took part in a dramatic confrontation.

Sparks flew above the beach as winter was defeated, and summer reigned supreme.

Mr Shakespeare said a fake Facebook page set up claiming the event had been cancelled could have been ‘really damaging’.

He said any plans to make next year’s festival even bigger and better would depend on future financial and community support.

‘One criticism we have received is that it has grown so big that people couldn’t see it,’ he said.

‘When an event goes really well it looks easy but it is incredibly hard work.’

All pictures: Dave Kneale