Jorvik Viking Festival returns 8 to 14 February 2027, the same week as York's half term. The free Coppergate march is Saturday 13 February; feast tickets are £100.
The Jorvik Viking Festival will return to York from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 February 2027. The organisers have put the dates and the first 30 events on the festival’s own site, with tickets on sale now (Jorvik Viking Festival).
The week lines up with York’s February half term, which the council’s recommended dates put at Monday 8 to Friday 12 February (our York school term dates). That makes most of the daytime programme a half-term option for families.
The festival says the full programme has not been released yet, so more events are likely to be added (What’s on).
The big free events
Two of the best-known parts of the week cost nothing:
- The Viking Encampment on Parliament Street, Monday 8 to Saturday 13 February, 10.30am to 4.30pm (encampment)
- The March to Coppergate, Saturday 13 February, listed for 1.15pm to 1.45pm (March to Coppergate)
The festival says the march route has not been published yet. Anyone who wants to march must be in costume.
Saturday 13 February
The Saturday is the busiest day. Listed so far:
| Event | Time | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viking Games | 11am to 12pm | Eye of York | £12 adult, £6 child (3 to 16), under 3s free |
| Kids Barbaric Battles | Sessions at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm | Museum Gardens | £10 |
| March to Coppergate | 1.15pm | Coppergate | Free |
| The Battle for York | 2pm to 3pm | Eye of York | £12 adult, £6 child (3 to 16), under 3s free |
| Ramashang | 7pm to 10pm | Midgard Marquee | £20 |
Up to 150 children take part in each Kids Barbaric Battle, the festival says.
For children during half term
- Berserker Boot Camp, Midgard Marquee, Monday to Saturday: £10
- How To Train Your Dragon School: Poo Week, DIG, all week: £3
- Kids Crafting at Barley Hall, all week: free with Barley Hall admission
- Pablo and Splash with author Sheena Dempsey, York Explore Library, Wednesday 10 February, 1.30pm: £5 a child, under 5s free
- 10th Century Traders, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, Friday 12 to Sunday 14 February: £4 adult, £3 concession, £10 family of four
Evenings and adult workshops
The evening events are mostly at Barley Hall:
- Jorvik Immersive Theatre, Monday 8 February: £20
- Mead Tasting, Wednesday 10 February: £35
- Beowulf by Candlelight at St Helen’s Church, Thursday 11 February: £20
- Mead Cocktails and Sagas, Friday 12 February: £35
The Festival Feast is at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall on Wednesday 10 February, 7pm to 11pm. Standard tickets are £100 and a new King’s Table ticket is £150. It is for over 18s, and the festival asks people to book by 22 January.
Day-long craft workshops in nalbinding, leatherwork, embroidery, pottery, spoon making and tablet weaving cost £40 each. Blacksmithing is £50, knife forging £100 and flatbow making £150. York Archaeology’s conservation lab at 47 Aldwark opens for £10 tours on Wednesday 10 February.
What it means for you
- Half term is sorted early. If your children are at a York school, the festival falls in their February break.
- The free events need no ticket. The encampment and the march are open to anyone.
- Book the paid events early. Battle sessions, boot camp and the feast have limited places, and the feast closes to bookings on 22 January.
- Expect a busy city centre on Saturday 13 February. The march route is still to come; we will add it here when the festival publishes it.
For other things to do before then, see our York ice rink page and what’s on in York this month.
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