Douglas North Quay is all set to host its rearranged Jazz and Blues Festival this weekend.
Originally scheduled for last weekend, the event was postponed due to an ‘unfavourable weather forecast’.
Organised by Douglas City Council, the Department for Enterprise, and Heron and Brearley, the festival is to feature a stellar lineup of local musical talent.
The day’s performances will begin at 12.45pm, when ‘The Bros. Rowe’ will take to the stage for an hour.
There will then be afternoon blues based performances by the melodic ensemble ‘Et Al‘ at 2pm, followed by the ‘Blue Vannin Jazz Club’ from 3.15pm to 4.30pm.
From 5pm, ‘Nash King Cole’, Trevor Shimmin and ‘Moon Indigo’ will perform a variety of music until 9pm, before the night’s entertainment will come to a close with a collaboration between ‘Han-FX’ and ‘Jor-Dmc’ between 9.30pm and 10.30pm.
Admission to the festival is free, with all funds raised going to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which is celebrating 200 years of service this year.
An RNLI stall and gazebo will be situated on North Quay during the festival, with volunteers manning the stall and selling a variety of gifts and mementos to raise money for the charity.
Mayor of the City of Douglas, Natalie Byron-Teare, said she’s ‘very much looking forward to the event’.
She said: ‘I am delighted this festival will be held in an area that has seen recent use as a hub for community events.
‘The event is not only an opportunity to see some fantastic local talent, but it also sees a collaboration of government organisations, business and the third sector and truly embraces the Manx spirit of community.’
The North Quay has been bustling with activity recently thanks to a big screen set up for watching the 2024 European Championships.
Douglas City Council have stated that they ‘aim to build on this lively atmosphere’ through the festival, creating a street party vibe filled with the cream of local musical talent.
Large crowds gathered at the North Quay for the European Championship final between Spain and England on July 14, with the continued pedestrianisation of the area proving to be good for business for local pubs and bars such as The British and Kiki’s.
The showing of the European Championships was the first of many events planned by the ‘North Quay Collective’, a collaboration of local businesses dedicated to bringing the community together through engaging and entertaining events.
A spokesperson for the North Quay Collective said: ‘We are thrilled to bring another of what we hope will be many exciting events on the quayside.
‘With so many great businesses in one area, it seemed the perfect time to collaborate and build a calendar of events to bring new, exciting experiences to Douglas.’