Manx speaking acts take to the Royal Hall

A concert of traditional Manx music, song & dance, featuring local super-group Scran, Skeealyn Vannin and Skeddan Jiarg, has just been announced for the Villa Marina in February. This unmissable concert in the Royal Hall of the Villa Marina forms part of Blein ny Gaelgey – the Year of the Manx Language 2026, and it will feature the Manx language throughout – both spoken and through song.

Scran and Friends
Friday 13 February 2026, 7.30pm
Villa Marina, Douglas

A celebration of traditional Manx music, song and dance.

Some of today’s most exciting performers of Manx music, song and dance are coming together for a truly special, one-night-only concert on home soil. Fresh from captivating audiences of tens of thousands at world-renowned venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London, Festival Interceltique de Lorient in Brittany, and a huge international folk festival in Morocco, these outstanding young artists will reunite to celebrate Manx culture where it all began.

At the heart of the evening are Scran, the teenage band who are redefining Manx traditional music through their powerful mix of tradition and innovation. Organised by Culture Vannin, Scran recently thrilled audiences at the Music for Youth Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, following an extraordinary appearance at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, one of the world’s largest traditional music festivals. There, they made history as the youngest Manx band ever to reach the finals of the prestigious Trophée Loïc Raison competition. At this concert, Scran will perform highlights from these international appearances alongside exciting new material from their forthcoming album.

Joining them are Skeealyn Vannin, a dynamic young vocal ensemble who aren’t afraid to push creative boundaries. Their genre-blending performances of traditional Manx songs and folk tales have impressed audiences across the Island and beyond. Their appearance at Lorient this summer was one of the festival’s most talked-about Manx showcases, and their ongoing objective to promote Manx culture in new ways earnt them the Londeyr award in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the Manx language.

Completing the programme is Skeddan Jiarg, one of the leading forces behind the current resurgence of Manx dance. Led by Grainne Joughin, the Peel-based group recently represented the Isle of Man at Africa’s largest folk dance festival, Marrakech Folklore Days, and will now bring their electrifying performance home.

This unmissable concert in the Royal Hall of the Villa Marina forms part of Blein ny Gaelgey – the Year of the Manx Language 2026, and it will highlight some of the remarkable Manx talent supported by Culture Vannin on both local and international stages.