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YORKTOBERFEST RETURNS TO YORK RACECOURSE THIS AUTUMN BY POPULAR DEMAND
Autumn cheer is forecast today with the news that Yorktoberfest, York’s traditional Bavarian beer festival, will be returning to the Clocktower Enclosure at York Racecourse this October, for a third successive year, with tickets still at 2022 prices. York’s very own Oktoberfest has proved hugely popular since its debut in 2021 with nearly all sessions selling out last year.
Yorktoberfest 2023 will run from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st October and on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October. Tickets are on sale through www.ticketsource.co.uk/yorktoberfest. Prices remain the same as last year at £20 per person for standard and £30 for VIP, with an early bird discount of £5 per ticket if booked before 30 June. New this year is a special student discount for the opening session on Thursday 19th October, with both ticket categories at half price, including early bird, using the code STUDENT2023.
Event organiser James Cundall, CEO of Jamboree Entertainment said “With prices going up everywhere we were very keen to keep our Yorktoberfest prices the same as last year, to offer a great night out for as reasonable a cost as possible. We are delighted to be introducing half price student tickets this year for the first night of the season, so students who also take advantage of the early bird offer can come along for as little as £7.50.”
Yorktoberfest follows in the traditions of the first Oktoberfest staged in Munich in 1810, bringing all things Bavarian to a giant fully-styled beer tent in the Clocktower Enclosure at York Racecourse, as well as superb live entertainment.
Returning this year is the internationally-acclaimed seven-piece live band, the Bavarian Strollers who will perform thigh-slapping, foot-stomping oompah tunes as well as feel-good disco classics. They have travelled the world bringing their unique take on oompah music to Bier Keller evenings, Oktoberfests, bars, parties and offices, and have appeared on BBC One, Channel 4, E4, Sky, Radio 5 Live as well as programmes such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Alan Carr Chatty Man. Their Bavarian table dances and German ‘prosit’ toasts make Yorktoberfest a memorable experience.
Adding to the party and returning to the stage by popular demand will be international drag artist Velma Celli, the undisputed star of the show. Velma has been mesmerising Yorktoberfest audiences with her powerhouse vocals and outrageous humour, receiving rave reviews across social media. Known as ‘the UK’s Queen of live vocal drag’, Velma has been charming audiences across the globe for the past 14 years, from Australia to New York, and from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to London’s Hippodrome. Velma takes the drag concept to whole new dizzy heights according to her alter-ego Ian Stroughair, a well-known name on the West End stage in his own right.
Dancing is encouraged, as it has been for over 200 years, as is the wearing of Lederhosen, Dirndls or any other fancy dress, with nightly competitions and prizes for the best dressed.
“We will transform the giant marquee into a Bavarian festival scene, with rows of tables and benches down most of its 160m length, a performance stage, rustic carts full of wooden beer barrels, thatched wooden barns, flags galore and generally everything needed for a great night out,” says Mr Cundall.
The Bavarian Bar will serve authentic German beer as well as a range of wines, prosecco, spirits and soft drinks for those who prefer not to ‘hop’! A variety of German-inspired food will cater for all tastes, with the essential favourites of sausages, schnitzels and pretzels as well as vegan and vegetarian options.
“We are thrilled that Yorktoberfest has become so popular since its debut in 2021 and once again it promises evenings of hearty fun, with beer, a band and bratwurst, not to mention a sensational drag queen! It’s time to get your friends together and start planning the party!” adds Mr Cundall.
Yorktoberfest will have a strictly limited capacity, with specific opening times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm until 11pm, and daytime sessions on Saturdays from 1pm until 5pm.
Tickets for Yorktoberfest are now on sale through www.ticketsource.co.uk/yorktoberfest
priced either individually at £20 for standard and £30 for VIP, or in tables of six at £120 for standard and £180 for VIP, with an early bird discount of £5 per ticket if booked before 30 June. Half price student tickets are available for Thursday 19 October. VIP tickets are situated closest to the stage and have table service for drinks and food. Customers will be able to book specific seats in their preferred location. An online booking fee applies. Tickets will also be available at the entrance, subject to availability.
THE BEER NECESSITIES:
WHEN:
Thurs 19th - Sat 21st October & Fri 27th – Sat 28th October 2023
WHERE:
Clocktower Enclosure, Knavesmire Rd, York Racecourse, YO23 1EX
TIME:
Thurs, Fri & Sat 7-11pm, Sat 1-5pm
ADMISSION:
Standard individual seating - £20 per person
Standard table of six - £120
VIP individual seating - £30
VIP table of six - £180 (close to stage with table service)
Early Bird discount of £5 per ticket applies to both Standard and VIP if booked before 30 June.
NEW! Half price student discount on all above tickets on Thursday 19th October session only, using code STUDENT2023. (£7.50 Early Bird Standard ticket, £10 Standard ticket, £12.50 Early Bird VIP ticket, £15 VIP ticket).
Ticket buyers must be aged 18+.
BOOK AT www.ticketsource.co.uk/yorktoberfest (booking fee applies)
DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Challenge 25 policy will be in operation
Yorktoberfest is produced by Jamboree Entertainment, a York-based company with 30 years of experience in producing live entertainment worldwide, and which for 17 years has produced the award-winning Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland ice rink and funfair.
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