TT 2014 will mark the first ever Motofest, which is taking place at Jurby Motodrome.
Sponsored by Bikekini, the festival opens today (Friday) and runs until next Friday (June 6) – with live music, stunts, big screens, a food court, HMV tent and lots more.
The festival’s commercial director Tina Carter explained how the idea came about: ‘My business partner was in Ramsey on a rainy Sprint Day and he spotted a bunch of bikers watching a TT race on television through a window.
‘The idea born from this was to create a venue where TT fans could gather, whatever the weather, time of day, or day of the week, and experience some form of entertainment and have a good time without costing a fortune.
‘Motofest has been created with the average TT fan in mind. Our motto is, “No VIPs at Motofest”. It is the original TT festival where everybody is important no matter who they are or where they come from.
‘We are bringing all types of entertainment together in one place and including an adjoining campsite, so that they need not go anywhere else for TT entertainment.’
The festival will see tribute acts take to the stage, including Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, UK Foo Fighters, The Stones, Hats Off To Led Zepplin, and Desert Monkeys.
Stunts to impress visitors will be performed by local acts such as Steve Colley and The Purple Helmets, and visiting act Vertical Trix, from Northampton.
There will also be the opportunity to do tandem skydives with Black Knights Parachute Centre, from Lancaster.
As well as catering for adult TT fans, there will also be a 1,000 square metre children’s area costing £5 per child per day for all day play and a funfair. It is free for under-16s, but they must be accompanied by an adult.
It is hoped that this year’s inaugural Jurby Motofest will be the start of many more to come.
‘We are creating an event which will cater for visitors and locals alike, where memories created will be remembered and cherished for a lifetime,’ said Tina. ‘We hope to build on Motofest and make it bigger and better each year until the festival becomes the event we dreamed of.’
She added: ‘Motofest will be the largest and most comprehensive entertainment venue during TT 2014.
‘It’s a completely new concept for TT entertainment and the positive feedback we’ve received has been phenomenal. We would encourage everyone to give it a go and see what they think.’
Wristbands for the eight-day festival cost £10, with camping now available at a cost of £5 per night. There will also be an hourly bus service available between Ramsey and Jurby with the last bus at 11.45pm. For more details call Tina on 494190 or visit www.motofest.im