JORVIK Viking Festival is a city-wide celebration of York’s rich Norse heritage.
The Vikings will once again be pitching their tents in central York this February with the welcome return of the JORVIK Viking Festival from Monday 12 to Sunday 18 of February 2024.
Join events over nine days of living history, hands-on fun, craft workshops and many other favourite family friendly activities across the city.
Put your whiskers to the test in our Best Beard Competition or explore exquisite Viking goods at our 10th Century Traders stalls.
The Vikings will also return to muster their fearsome armies with the March to Coppergate through the city centre. Plus kids crafting, expert talks and much much more. Full programme of events can be found here.
Here’s our selection of some of the festival’s key events
Arena
Come along to Parliament Street for saga-themed storytelling sessions, exciting combat displays and live music performances throughout the day!
- St Sampsons Square
- 12-18 February
- 10am – 4pm
- Free entry
Beserka Boot Camp
Little Vikings can prepare for battle with our fun Berserker Boot Camp workshops, led by JORVIK’s expert instructors. Suitable for ages 5-12 only, pre-booking advised.
- The Guildhall
- 12-18 February
- 10:30am, 11am, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm. Times for Saturday 17th: 10:30am, 11am, 3pm, 3:30pm
- £5 per child
Best Dressed (Featuring the Best Beard Competition)
A new event for 2024 – take part in our Best Dressed competition! We’ll be celebrating the Vikings in all of their forms, from myth and legend to pop culture! Channel your inner Ragnar Lothbrok from Vikings or even Marvel’s Thor, Loki or Hela in our new Cosplay category. Showcase your pooch’s inner ‘Best Beast’ or put your whiskers to the test at our annual Best Beard competition. Men, women and children welcome – we’re looking for the most glorious beard in York, whether it’s natural or homemade.
- Parliament Street
- Sun 18 February
- 12:30pm – 1:15pm
- Free entry
Viking Banquet: Love and Blunder
Torch-bearing Vikings will welcome diners with a glass of mead, before tucking into a delicious three course feast suitable for Odin himself! As the event is taking place on Valentine’s Day, the sagas told at the feast will be stories of Viking romance – the path of which rarely ran smoothly!
- Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
- Wed 14 February
- 7-11pm
- £95 per person
The Viking Games
First staged in May 2022, the Viking Games tests the skills, strength, cunning and wisdom of our Viking competitors, including circles of honour and circles of treachery, until only one person is left standing! The event culminates in a battle spectacular featuring hundreds of warriors: two armies face off using real weapons to recreate the authentic sounds of metal hitting wooden shields.
- The Eye of York
- Sat 17 February
- 1:30pm
- £10 for adults, £5 for concessions (ages 3-16 or 60+) and free for under 3s
Festival Finale: The Realms of Yggdrasil
This year’s fiery son-et-lumière event explores the Realms of Yggdrasil, featuring different tales taken from the nine worlds connected by The World Tree of Norse mythology, Yggdrasil. Asgard, Valhalla, Jötunheimr and Niflheim all feature in the stories of gods, giants and brave warriors!
- The Eye of York
- Sat 17 February
- 7pm
- £20 for adults and £15 for concessions (ages 3-16 or 60+) and free for under 3s
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide with Louie Stowell
Following the release of the third book in her hilarious Loki: A Bad God’s Guide series, bestselling author and illustrator Louie Stowell joins us for JORVIK Viking Festival 2024! Young readers can hear about the inspiration for Loki’s hijinks and hubris, what it’s like to write stories for a living, and how doodles can help bring characters to life. You’ll also get the chance to ask questions and buy your own signed copy! Pre-booking essential. Suitable for ages approximately 7-11.
- Marriott Room, York Explore Library and Archive
- Tue 13 February
- 1:30-2:30pm
- £5 per child including accompanying adult, £5 for additional adult, accompanying under 5s free