Blues Festival splits in two

The Island's annual blues festival says it's splitting in two this year - with gigs at the Villa Marina in May and Laxey in September.

The Big Wheel Blues says instead of one long weekend, there'll be two events.

The first takes place at the Villa Marina on Saturday, May 6th with a free concert by local acoustic musicians in the gardens during the afternoon followed by a ticketed gig in the Promenade Suite that night.

But on Saturday, September 9th there'll be another concert at the Laxey Working Men's Institute featuring local electric bands in the afternoon, with another evening ticketed.

Organisers say it comes after years of switching between Laxey and the capital.