WITH uncertainly surrounding what Covid-19 restrictions may be in place in the new year, the team behind JORVIK Viking Festival has revealed plans for something different for next year.

The team have revealed that they will be hosting ‘That JORVIK Viking Thing’.

The event will be a hybrid of online activity, including live-streamed Viking-themed events, storytelling and an online version of its annual JORVIK Viking Symposium, with smaller scale tours and a traders’ market in the city centre.

JORVIK Viking Centre’s events manager, Gareth Henry, said: “Throughout the first lockdown, we were tremendously pleased with the number of people using our ‘discover from home’ resources, so we will be building on those.

“We might not be able to parade through the city centre and draw huge crowds to the streets of York as we normally do every February, but we’re confident that there will be plenty to give Viking enthusiasts their Norse fix.”

Details of the headline live-streamed events are being finalised at the moment, with tickets going on sale for key performances and virtual tours before Christmas.

Most of the events and video content will be completely free to view with no tickets required.

Director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, Sarah Maltby, said: “The team has worked incredibly hard to come up with a programme of activities that will entertain, engage and inform – and indeed, spread York’s Viking message further afield than ever before - whether lockdown is lifted entirely or we have further restrictions in place.”

In Viking times, a ‘thing’ was a public assembly – a gathering of leaders to solve disputes and discuss key issues.

Visitors can sign up to receive news of the latest announcements and ticket releases at: www.jorvikthing.com