TT 2027: Why the 100th Senior TT Is No Longer the Finale

• Races from 5 to 12 June 2027, qualifying from 31 May
• The 100th Senior TT starts on Friday, 11 June, over six laps
• Superstock down to a single race, sidecars return with two short outings

The organisers of the Tourist Trophy have substantially reworked the race schedule for 2027. The number of races drops from ten to nine, several classes run different distances, and more reserve days are spread across the week. The main reason lies in the weather of recent years. In 2025 the Senior TT was cancelled entirely, and in 2026 it was declared after just one lap. For the anniversary race the organisers now want to create more leeway.

When does the Isle of Man TT 2027 take place?

Qualifying runs from Monday, 31 May, to Friday, 4 June 2027. The races follow from Saturday, 5 June, to Saturday, 12 June.

For the practice week the organisers say they are carrying over the format and the session structure from 2026. A detailed qualifying timetable is still to come. The exact start times of the races are not known yet either. On top of that, the entire schedule is provisional: the necessary road closures still have to be approved by the island’s Department of Infrastructure. The TT takes place on public roads, which are closed for every practice session and every race.

Which races take place on which day in 2027?

Race week begins on Saturday, 5 June, with the Superbike TT and ends on Saturday, 12 June, with the second sidecar race and the second Sportbike race. Two fixed reserve days sit in between.

• Saturday, 5 June: RST Superbike TT (6 laps)
• Sunday, 6 June: Monster Energy Supersport TT, race 1 (4 laps)
• Monday, 7 June: reserve day
• Tuesday, 8 June: RL360 Superstock TT (4 laps) and Motul Sidecar TT, race 1 (2 laps)
• Wednesday, 9 June: Monster Energy Supersport TT, race 2 (4 laps) and Carole Nash Sportbike TT, race 1 (4 laps)
• Thursday, 10 June: reserve day
• Friday, 11 June: Milwaukee Senior TT (6 laps)
• Saturday, 12 June: Motul Sidecar TT, race 2 (2 laps) and Carole Nash Sportbike TT, race 2 (4 laps)

Why is the Senior TT no longer the final race?

The Senior TT moves to Friday so that Saturday remains a genuine reserve day for the anniversary race. If the Senior is lost to rain or other problems, it can be run a day later.

Friday is not actually new for the Senior TT. The race returns to its former regular slot, the Friday, which is a public holiday on the Isle of Man. In recent years the Senior was held on Saturday as the closing race. That is exactly what became a problem. In 2025 the race had to be cancelled completely, only the fifth time in its history. In 2026 one lap was completed after the start, but the race was red-flagged on the second lap. Heavy rain prevented a restart and the result was declared after one lap. The winner was Dean Harrison.

Paul Phillips, Head of Motorsport at the Isle of Man TT Races, stresses that the new plan is not meant to be a step backwards: “This is an evolution rather than a return to the programme that existed before 2023.” He explains that the Superbike TT now provides a major race right at the start on the first Saturday. With the Senior on Friday, the whole day can be built around the historic event.

Why is there only one Superstock race in 2027?

The organisers are dropping one of the two Superstock races to create room in the schedule. That leaves more time for postponements, and the remaining races get longer.

Instead of two races over three laps each, the Superstock machines will run only one race over four laps in 2027. The Sportbike class gains as well: in future both legs will run over four laps instead of three. The Supersport class keeps its two races over four laps each. Superbike and Senior TT remain the two big races over six laps. According to Phillips, dropping the second Superstock race is meant to give the remaining races more weight, create more recovery time in the programme and better safeguard the Superbike TT and the Senior TT.

The 2026 TT showed how necessary such reserves are. Of the ten scheduled races, only four ran over several laps. Superstock and sidecars did not run at all, and only one of the Sportbike races took place. Another change concerns the smaller twins: for the first time since 2012, no Supertwin machines will be on the grid in 2027, with the class fully absorbed into the Sportbike category.

What changes on the first race weekend?

Only two races instead of three take place on the first weekend. The Superbike TT opens race week on Saturday, followed by the first Supersport race on Sunday.

The Superbike TT therefore returns to its traditional slot on the opening Saturday. There is a practical reason for scheduling a shorter race over four laps on Sunday: according to the organisers, the roads are closed for the shortest period on that day. A race over six laps fits less comfortably into that window. It also leaves leeway should the weather not cooperate on Saturday. In that case the Superbike TT could additionally take to the Snaefell Mountain Course on Sunday, the roughly 60-kilometre road circuit of the TT.

Phillips draws a positive conclusion about the schedule so far. He explains that the format introduced in 2023 created stronger opening and closing weekends, spread more races across the week and gave visitors more freedom in planning their trip. Across four editions of the TT it brought more fans to the island and benefited the Isle of Man economically. The experience of those four years has also shown, however, where improvements can be made.

How do the sidecars return to the TT?

The sidecars are set to return in 2027 with two races over two laps each. That applies only if the ongoing technical, organisational and regulatory work on the class is completed in time.

In 2026 the organisers cancelled the sidecar races on safety grounds. The trigger was a practice crash involving the brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe, whose outfit overturned after a jump. It has since been confirmed that the sidecars are to be part of the programme again at least from 2027 to 2029. The two short races are regarded as an interim solution for the first year under the new rules. After that the race distance is to be reviewed based on experience.

A good deal is changing technically. Instead of the previous 600cc four-cylinder units, engines from modern middleweight production machines will be used, for example from the Yamaha R7, the Aprilia RS 660 or the Kawasaki Ninja 650. There will also be a standard control unit from Mectronik and a so-called balance of performance. Together these are intended to bring the various engines to a similar power level. Existing chassis remain permitted, while separate wings, fins and spoilers do not. The requirements for teams are becoming stricter too: current racing experience and physical fitness are to count for more.

How will the 100th Senior TT be celebrated?

The organisers are planning a dedicated programme around the anniversary. It includes an exhibition, archive films, new features and interviews with former winners.

The story of the race is to be told from its beginnings, through the era of Mike Hailwood, the Dunlops and Steve Hislop, to the present day, in which laps are run at average speeds of more than 130 miles per hour (around 209 km/h). The motorcycles that shaped the Senior TT will also be a focus. The organisers want to announce further details later. Phillips says: “We also want the 100th Senior to be about much more than the race itself. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate the riders, motorcycles and extraordinary performances that have made it the most important race at the TT.”

After two rain-hit years with cancelled or abandoned races, the 2027 TT is above all meant to achieve one thing: that the anniversary of the Senior TT can actually be run.

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➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: Isle of Man TT 2027: The Complete Overview – Dates, Classes, Regulations & Riders. Find all key information on this topic in one place.