Last year knights jousted in the grounds of Peterborough Cathedral, now get ready for a full on Viking invasion – it can only mean one thing, the fantastic Peterborough Heritage Festival is back!
The Heritage Festival is one of our favourites and this year’s main event on Saturday July 2 and Sunday July 3 looks set to bring our history to life in even more graphic style.
It’s a fabulous free weekend which never fails to entertain and with a horde of marauding Vikings set to invade Peterborough City Centre there’s no doubt it will remain one of the UK’s premier history events.
Vikings and Saxons will battle for control of the city in a spectacular display, recreating the attack on Peterborough in 870AD, with no quarter given or prisoners taken by either side. It’ill be the biggest Viking raid on the city for 1,000 years!
Staged twice daily in Cathedral Square, the event will involve 100 re-enactors, and will be a thrilling highlight of the main Festival weekend.
Held in early July for the first time this year, The Heritage Festival, now in its eighth successful year, is the UK’s only city centre multi-period living history festival. As Peterborough’s most popular event it attracted over 34,000 people last year, and we reckon it’s well worth a visit if you’ve not been before.
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Organised by Vivacity Peterborough Culture and Leisure, in association with Peterborough Cathedral and supported by Perkins Engines Company Limited, it’s a great way to experience 3,500 years of history in the historic heart of the city and the stunning surroundings of the Cathedral precincts.
Chief Executive of Vivacity, Kevin Tighe, says: “Once again, we’re staging one of the finest heritage festivals in the UK, right here in Peterborough city centre. This puts the city on the map and if you don’t already know about it, then you need to find out.”
Vivacity has been fortunate to secure support from Perkins as part of a three-year partnership. Kevin added: “Thanks to support from Perkins Engines Company Limited, we are able to continue and further improve on the Heritage Festival experience. This is a truly exciting free programme of family-friendly events, attracting visitors from Peterborough, and further afield across the country.”
Alongside the big weekend there is also a great range of fringe events running from June 25 to July 10. The Heritage Festival weekend events are all free to attend and it all provides a huge financial boost for Peterborough.
David Nicoll, Perkins Marketing Director, says: “The Peterborough Heritage Festival is a key part of the city’s cultural calendar, and the addition of the Viking Invasion to this year’s programme will help to maintain its first class reputation. Perkins is very proud to be associated with the Heritage Festival, which has a huge amount to offer local residents, families and those travelling from further afield.”
The full programme of extra fringe events is listed on our website which is always packed with even more what’s on information, visit www.espmag.co.uk and you can also find out more on www.vivacitypeterborough.com/festivals/pboroheritagefest2016
Photos: All Chris Brudenell for ESP Magazine except lead image.
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