The Vikings are back this February for the JORVIK Viking Festival! From Monday, the 17th of February to Sunday, the 23rd, York will be taken over by Viking warriors. This world renowned festival features living history encampments, workshops, tours, traditional crafts, feasts, family events, evening entertainment and dramatic combat performances.
Read on some highlights of the 2025 JORVIK Viking Festival for families – from ticketed events you need to pre-book to plenty of free events and sights!
Kids Crafting
Let your little Vikings unleash their creativity with our Kids Crafting activities! From crafting their own beard to brooch making and pottery, there’s plenty to keep them busy.
These activities are free with admission to Barley Hall, so bring your little ones along for a day of creativity and discovery!
📆 17th – 23rd Feb
⏰10.00 – 16.00
📍Barley Hall
🎟 More Info
Berserker Boot Camp
Get your Little Vikings ready for battle at our Berserker Bootcamp! Led by seasoned warriors, kids will learn the art of combat with foam swords and shields—don’t worry, Norse health and safety keeps it all safe and fun! Perfect for ages 5-12, these workshops are a great way to let young warriors experience the thrill of Viking training.
Ready to join the ranks of the fiercest warriors? No need to book ahead—simply pay at the door and dive into the action at our Berserker Bootcamp!
📆 17th – 23rd Feb
⏰10.30 – 16.30
📍Midyard Marquee, Parliament Street
🎟 More Info
Poo Week
It’s smelly, it’s squelchy, and it’s a highlight of the Festival calendar! Believe it or not, poo can reveal a lot about our past! Bring the kids to DIG and discover why archaeologists are fascinated by this unexpected treasure. They’ll even have the chance to create their own replica fossilised poo, inspired by the famous Lloyds Bank Turd at JORVIK Viking Centre.
📆 17th – 23rd Feb
⏰11.00 – 16.00
📍DIG: An Archaeological Adventure
💷 More Info
Evening Spectacular: Tyrfing. The Cursed Sword
Experience our Evening Spectacular! As you are guided into a world with a chance encounter between a king and two dwarves that leads to the forging of a magical sword – but all is not as it seems.
Join ‘Time Will Tell Theatre’, as we journey into the heart of a Viking myth with trickery, beauty, death and curses in our Tale of Tyrfing; The Cursed Sword!
📆: 21st and 22nd Feb
⏰: 19.30 – 20.30
📍Eye of York, Tower Street.
ℹ️: MORE INFO
Kids Barbaric Battle
Every Viking remembers their first battle—now it’s your little warrior’s turn! In our brand-new Kids Battle, up to 100 young fighters will step into the Eye of York to prove themselves worthy of Valhalla (and we’re pretty sure they all are!). This is a practice battle, so safety comes first—foam weapons, shields, and equipment are all provided. Little Vikings under 5 will need an adult by their side on the battlefield.
📆 22nd Feb
⏰: 10.30 – 12.00
ℹ️: More Info
The Viking Games
Back by popular demand, this family-friendly event returns for 2025! Watch as experienced reenactors battle it out in a test of strength, skill, cunning and wisdom with Odin as the referee. Expect combat, impressive feats of endurance and plenty of laughs along the way.
📆 22nd Feb
⏰: 13.30 – 14.30
📍Eye of York, Tower Street
ℹ️ More Info
The Art of Illustration Workshop
With Katie Smith – Viking Top Trumps illustrator
Join talented illustrator Katie Smith for an exclusive event where she will share insights into her creative process, discussing how she designed the artwork for the new Vikings Top Trumps cards.
The event will begin with an introductory talk, followed by a 45 minute drawing workshop, where Katie will guide participants in creating their own Top Trumps character using simple drawing techniques.
📆 20th Feb
⏰: 11.00 – 12.00
📍Barley Hall Coffee Shop
ℹ️ More Info
Tryggvi Treehammer’s Top Trumps Trail
Tryggvi Treehammer has set up a Viking Trail, across the city of York! Follow in his footsteps by visiting the JORVIK Viking Centre, Barley Hall, DIG, the Midgard Marquee, Museum Gardens, Merchant Adventurers Hall and our information point on Parliament Street. Follow the instructions on your activity sheet along the way, and you’ll earn an exclusive Top Trumps card that’s a perfect addition to our brand-new JORVIK Top Trumps set—making its debut at the Festival. And the best part? Completing the trail is completely free!
📆 17th – 23rd Feb
⏰10.30 – 16.30
📍Midyard Marquee, Parliament Street
ℹ️ More Info
March to Coppergate
The Viking March is a Festival tradition like no other! It simply wouldn’t be the JORVIK Viking Festival without the sight of Viking warriors parading through the city. Don’t miss your chance to experience their thunderous war cries echoing through the streets of York!
📆 22nd Feb
⏰: 13.30 – 14.00
ℹ️ More Info
Encampment
The Vikings have taken over York City Centre! Snap some selfies as you watch them in action, from woodworking to making traditional leatherwork and even get your face painted to look like a true Norse warrior! Visit Parliament Street to experience the excitement up close and catch a glimpse of Viking life right in the heart of the city in our encampment.
📆 17th – 23rd Feb
⏰: 10.30 – 16.30
📍Eye of York, Tower Street
ℹ️ More Info
You can see the full programme of events here.
This is a sponsored post by JORVIK Viking Festival
