With more than 40,000 warriors abandoning their desks to invade York’s cobbled streets, Europe’s largest Viking Festival is back in town.  Celebrating its 32nd year, this year’s highlights include a Viking banquet, a candle-lit Beowulf performance and the hotly-contested Strongest Viking competition.  From live combat to shield wrestling and tug-of-war contests, the festival puts a whole new spin on corporate team bonding weekends.  Never has paintballing looked so tame.

Kippa Matthews Jorvik Viking Festival

Inspired by the ancient Viking Festival of Jolablot which celebrated the end of the harsh, cruel winter months, the Jorvik Viking Festival is a glorious celebration of all things Norse.  From torch-lit parades and battle re-enactments to best beard competitions, the town of York takes on the warrior spirit once more despite the floods that have forced the Jorvik Viking Centre to close in recent months.

Kippa Matthews Vikings gather for the final battle

KIPPA MATTHEWS Jorvik Viking Festival

KIPPA MATTHEWS Jorvik Festival

One for the boys, the Strongest Viking competition offers a smorgasbord of manly challenges including log running, shield wrestling, Dane Axe holding, boasting and tug of war.  If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the hotly-contested Best Beard competition where you can pose and preen your whiskers into submission.

No Viking Festival would be complete without a banquet and what better reason chow down on wild boar than the betrothal of King Canute to Emma of Normandy in York’s Merchant Taylor’s Hall. (£65.00 per person, pre-booking essential.)

The festival ends in timely fashion with King Canute’s spectacular sound and light show recreating the bloody battle between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons for England’s throne in 1016.

Jorvik Festival Grand Finale

KIPPA MATTHEWS Fireworks – Grand Finale

The Jorvik Viking Festival runs from the 15th to the 21st February 2016.
For more information, visit: http://www.jorvik-viking-festival.co.uk

(All photos from the Jorvik Viking Festival 2013)

What’s the most spectacular festival you’ve ever visited?