JORVIK VIKING FESTIVAL 2011

York: 19th – 27th February
The year is 1014 AD, and a bitter war is raging in England. The old Danelaw is once again under the heel of the Danes, who yearly exact bloody tribute from the miserable English. The ousted English king Ethelred, recently returned from exile, plots vengeance on them, but lacks the means and the manpower to fight his own battles. His unlikely ally is Olaf Haraldsson, a young Viking adventurer and heir to the throne of Norway. The two have already crushed the Danish force in London, pulling down London Bridge and capturing the Viking fortress, but Olaff’s hunger for battle is undiminished. He scours the English countryside for the Danish warbands and any who might harbour them, coming at last to the outskirts of Jorvik. Will the Danes make a stand here, outside the walls of their old English stronghold? Will the men of York support them? And who will win in this clash of Viking vs Viking?
The JORVIK Viking Festival is a long-established festival in York, celebrating Viking heritage. The Festival sees hundreds of Vikings descend on the city and demonstrate battle-drills and training routines.
The city is also treated to a range of public events including lectures, arts & crafts, encampments, river events, saga-telling, and full-scale battle re-enactment
For more information and to pre-book any of the 2011 Festival events call 01904 615505 or book online at The Jorvik Viking Centre
The full list of events each day can be found here, use the calendar on the left to view what’s on each day.


The Festival starts with a one day Conference on the 19th February – Modern Answers to Ancient Mysteries – to celebrate the opening of the new galleries at JORVIK during 2011
Registration is from 9.15am; with an introduction at 9.45am
Fountains Lecture Theatre, York St John University, £70 (£60 Friends of YAT)
This special event brings together speakers from across Britain and Europe to reveal their most recent archaeological research and findings on an intriguing range of subjects from prehistory to the 19th century.
Pre-booking essential.
For more details call 01904 615505.
Or book online at Jorvikbookings.com
Past Horizons