Hunt The Wren: Dates, Times and Locations for 2025

One of the Isle of Man’s oldest and most cherished traditions will once again take to the streets this St Stephen’s Day, as Culture Vannin confirms the full list of timings and locations for this year’s Hunt the Wren celebrations.

The ancient custom, which is believed to date back to pre-Christian times, sees communities across the island gather on December 26 to sing, dance and parade through their villages with the symbolic ‘wren pole’.

Historically linked to the hunting of the bird known as the ‘king of all birds’, today the pole carries only a replica, with the event instead serving as a vibrant and much-loved expression of Manx cultural identity.

This year’s festivities will begin from 10am.

In Port St Mary, participants will meet at Scoill Phurt-le-Moirrey car park at 10am, while in Douglas the gathering begins at 10.15am outside the Woodbourne Hotel for a 10.30am start.

Ramsey’s Hunt the Wren group will meet outside St Paul’s Church at 10.30am, the same time that celebrations will begin in St John’s, where participants will gather in the Arboretum car park.

Willaston’s event will start at 10.45am in the Willaston School car park.

Kirk Michael’s group will meet at 11am outside the Mitre pub before continuing on to Ballaugh, where events begin at 11.20am outside The Raven, with the celebrations then moving onward to Sulby, where the final gathering of the morning begins at 11.40am at the Sulby Glen Pub.

All groups aim to conclude their morning festivities by midday, after which many take the opportunity to warm up indoors, often accompanied by music and refreshments.

The afternoon will then bring the traditional game of cammag at 2pm in St John’s, an energetic stick-and-ball sport that, like Hunt the Wren, remains a proud part of the Manx calendar.

Further information about both customs, their history and this year’s events can be found on the Culture Vannin website.