JORVIK Viking Festival

Recognised as the largest Viking Festival in Europe, the annual JORVIK Viking Festival is a citywide celebration of York’s rich Norse heritage. The festival’s programme of family friendly events, lectures, guided walks and battle re-enactments attracts over 40,000 visitors from across the globe, with many returning year after year to take part and enjoy the atmosphere. Inspired by the ancient Viking celebration of ‘Jolablot’ - a Norse festival that heralded the end of winter hardships and the coming of spring, this 1,000 year old tradition was long forgotten until York Archaeological Trust, the owners of JORVIK Viking Centre, brought it back to life in the 1980s.

Returning to York every February Half Term, JORVIK Viking Festival has become a firm fixture in the York festival calendar. With a wide range of hands-on events and living history on offer throughout the week, visitors are sure to come face to face with the Vikings of JORVIK during their visit. Other events planned for the festival include talks and presentations by local experts and visiting authors, crafting workshops where participants can help make props to go into the new JORVIK displays, city tours and a host of fringe events, from pub walks to films, throughout the city.