Thousands flocked to the third annual Douglas Beach Day at the weekend.

Thankfully, the weather held out for the fun annual event which took place on Queen’s Promenade on Saturday.

Organised by the city council, the event feature lots of free beach activities, stalls and a bouncy castle.

The day kicked off with a ‘morning of wellbeing’ starting at 9am. Those attending enjoyed a mindfulness session, cold water immersion and the opportunity to use a beach-side sauna.

The main activities took place between 11am and 4pm with wooden boat building, sports, a sandcastle competition, metal detecting and live music.

UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man also ran some ‘explore the shore’ sessions throughout the day at 11am, 12pm and 1pm led by marine biologist Dr Peter Duncan and experienced marine observer Jon Russell-Dunn.

Metal detectorists were also on hand to show people what it takes to find treasure and they displayed some of their finds for people to admire.

Douglas Beach Day has replace the Douglas carnival which was voted by councillors to be scrapped in 2022 due to poor crowds.

Mayor Steven Crellin was at the event and helped hand out the prizes for the sand castle competition, such as Davison’s ice cream vouchers.

He was delighted with the success of the day and expressed his relief that the weather help out.

He said: ‘What makes Douglas Beach Day so special is the chance to spend time with the amazing local organisations that work hard all year to support, protect and inspire our island community.

‘Once again, there was a fine turnout with loads of activities on offer and plenty of families making the most of the day down on the beach — and thankfully, the weather was on our side too!’