A FIERY send off is being prepared for the King of Jorvik, as the grand finale of this year’s Viking Festival.

The last stand of Erik Bloodaxe and his journey to Valhalla will provide the storyline for the 2017 festival, and the finale will take place at Rawcliffe Country Park on Saturday, February 25.

Bloodaxe was killed in 954AD by Maccus, who worked for former ally Osulf of Bamburgh.

Nicola Harkness, events manager, said this year’s festival - which runs between February 20 and 26 - will be bigger and better than previous years.

She said: “This is the first time we’ve staged this event at Rawcliffe Country Park, and the extra space we have available – away from historic buildings – means that we can be even more ambitious with the finale spectacle.

“For the first time, we’ll be adding live music to the event – performed by renowned musician Einar Selvik, whose two other festival events have already sold out – and we’ll be creating a huge funeral pyre to ensure that Eric’s death is marked with all the ceremony deserving of a great Viking king, with drummers to mark his passing – it will be an evening to remember.”

Tickets for the finale, and all other festival events are available online at jorvik-viking-festival.co.uk