The Vikings are coming ... to Peterborough Heritage Festival

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 will be the biggest Viking raid on the city for 1,000 years! 
Staged twice daily in Cathedral Square, over July 2 and 4, the event will involve 100 re-enactors, and will constitute the highlight of the Festival. 
The Heritage Festival, now in its eighth successful year, is the UK’s only city centre multi-period living history festival and attracted more than 34,000 people last year. Organised by Vivacity, in association with Peterborough Cathedral and supported by Perkins Engines Company Limited, visitors can experience 3,500 years of history in the historic heart of the city and the stunning surroundings of the Cathedral precincts. The Heritage Festival also features a large programme of fringe events running from June 25 to July 10. 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.”

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.”

The Heritage Festival provides a boost for Peterborough, city businesses and the localcommunity, bringing in over £300,000 to the local economy. The event costs £70,000 each year and this sum is met by generous support from local businesses such as Perkins and individual donations.

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 travellingfrom further afield.”