The Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival, now the Big Manx Feast

For 15 years the island’s big food weekend was the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival in the Villa Marina Gardens. After two years off, it’s back with a new name, the Big Manx Feast, and a new home at Noble’s Park in Douglas. This page covers what the 2026 festival was like, what it costs, how to get there, what happened to the old one, and when to expect the next. For the food itself, start with our Manx food guide.

The short version

• What: the island’s main food and drink festival, relaunched in 2026 as the Big Manx Feast.
• When: a weekend in mid-September. In 2026 it was Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September.
• Where: Noble’s Park, Douglas, next to the TT Grandstand.
• Cost: £8 in advance or £10 on the gate for the weekend, with under-16s free (2026 prices).
• Next year: the 2027 dates weren’t published when we checked on 28 September 2026. Watch bigmanxfeast.im (opens in a new tab).

The 2026 Big Manx Feast

Business Isle of Man, part of the government’s Department for Enterprise, announced the relaunch in December 2025. The first Big Manx Feast was themed around Mheillea, the Manx harvest festival (gov.im (opens in a new tab)). It was sponsored by the Isle of Man Creamery, and the organisers expected more than 10,000 people over the weekend (Manx Radio (opens in a new tab)).

	2026
Dates	Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September
Hours	Saturday 10am–7.30pm, Sunday 11am–6pm
Advance ticket	£8, both days
On the gate	£10, both days
Under-16s	Free with an adult

Figures from bigmanxfeast.im (opens in a new tab) and Isle of Man Today (opens in a new tab), September 2026.

What was there

More than 60 island producers, hospitality businesses and activity providers took part. The site was split into areas:

• Producers tent: Manx meat, fish, vegetables, baking and drinks. This is the reason to go. It’s where you meet the makers in our Manx produce and beer and gin guides.
• The Feasting Hall: food vendors and about 20 food trucks, with live music.
• Cookery Theatre: more than 40 chef demonstrations and talks. The 2026 line-up included TV cook Michela Chiappa and Bake Off finalist Toby Littlewood alongside island chefs.
• The Manx Meat Shack: outdoor cooking demonstrations.
• Kitchen Table Talks: smaller discussions with producers and experts.
• Kids’ Zone: crafts and activities, plus hands-on cookery workshops for adults.

Getting there

Noble’s Park is on the north side of Douglas, beside the TT Grandstand on Glencrutchery Road. In 2026:

• Shuttle bus: route 92 ran every 30 minutes from 10.40am, from Victoria Street along the promenade, Broadway and Victoria Road to Noble’s Park. It was free with an advance ticket and £1 without.
• Parking: next to the site, behind the TT Grandstand, and overflow parking at University College Isle of Man’s Greenfield Road campus.
• On foot: it’s a long, steady uphill walk from the promenade.

Expect similar arrangements next time, but check the festival site first. The buses guide covers regular routes, and the parking guide covers discs and car parks.

What happened to the old festival

The Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival started in 2008 and ran for 15 years, most recently in the Villa Marina Gardens on Douglas promenade. In June 2024 the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture cancelled that September’s festival. It cited the £85,000 cost, falling attendance and a view that smaller, themed events would help producers more (Isle of Man Today (opens in a new tab)).

Producers weren’t happy. Some had already bought stock. The replacement plan included a “Meet Your Producer” trade event at the Douglas Market Hall. The minister later admitted the smaller-events approach hadn’t worked as planned, and the industry said a single flagship event was needed (Isle of Man Today (opens in a new tab)). There was no festival in 2024 or 2025. It came back in 2026, run by Business Isle of Man under the new name.

2027

The 2027 dates hadn’t been announced when we checked on 28 September 2026, a week after the first Big Manx Feast. The 2026 dates were announced in December 2025, so expect news over the winter. Until then, don’t book a trip around it. If you’re coming in September anyway, see what’s on and the best time to visit.

Other food events

• The Queenie Festival, in the south, doesn’t appear to run any more. See queenies for where to eat them instead.
• Farmers’ markets run every week in St Johns and Ramsey. See Manx produce.
• Bushy’s TT Village is a beer festival in all but name, for ten days every TT.