York Viking Festival: City steps back in time as it sees the first Jorvik Games

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped back in time in York over the weekend - even more so than usual.
Victoria Finan
By Victoria Finan
Published 30th May 2022, 04:28 GMT

The city’s Vikings were out in full force at the Jorvik Viking Festival.

The first day of celebrations saw a host of popular staples for the Festival, including the March to Coppergate, with a column of around 150 Vikings processing through the city from York Minster, passing the living history encampment on Parliament Street and ending outside JORVIK Viking Centre itself.

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Festival manager Gareth Henry said: “After a day when we’ve had thousands of people looking around the encampment and enjoying the shows on our Parliament Street Stage, the sunny evening was perfect for our new event, The JORVIK Games, at the Eye of York.

The first day of celebrations saw a host of popular staples for the Festival, including the March to Coppergate, with a column of around 150 Vikings processing through the city from York Minster, passing the living history encampment on Parliament Street and ending outside JORVIK Viking Centre itself.The first day of celebrations saw a host of popular staples for the Festival, including the March to Coppergate, with a column of around 150 Vikings processing through the city from York Minster, passing the living history encampment on Parliament Street and ending outside JORVIK Viking Centre itself.
The first day of celebrations saw a host of popular staples for the Festival, including the March to Coppergate, with a column of around 150 Vikings processing through the city from York Minster, passing the living history encampment on Parliament Street and ending outside JORVIK Viking Centre itself.
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“The flag-waving 1300-strong crowd got behind our four team of warriors in battles of skill, strength and cunning, culminating in a fiery finale to end the evening as the sun dropped behind Clifford’s Tower – a wonderful end to the first day of the Festival.”

Further events at the festival, which concludes on Wednesday, include authentic Viking market traders in St Sampson’s Square and Guildhall, and the annual Helen Thirza Addyman Lecture, this year is available in person and virtually on Tuesday May 31.

Dr Steven Ashby, of the University of York’s archaeology department, will explain how he has used novel biomolecular techniques to the study of hair combs found in settlement and burial contexts across Britain and northern Europe to redraw the chronology and geography of the Viking world.

For more information on events, visit jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk.

Related topics:YorkVikings