About the Sword Spectacular
For all sword dancers, York is the place to be in 2008 - it is host city to the 5th International Sword Spectacular Festival, the world's biggest and most impressive celebration of sword dancing.
Over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend of 23-26 May 2008, you can expect to see the very best in sword dancing - from the colour and spectacle of teams from across Europe to the traditions of Longsword and Rapper to the new interpretations from North America. You'll also see some of the new and emerging talent from both sides of the Atlantic.
And whether you are a relative newcomer to sword dancing or you prefer to attend as an individual spectator, you should have no difficulty in finding plenty to appeal. Street performances, a Gala Concert, ceilidhs, workshops and plenty more are all part of our plans.
This will be the first Sword Spectacular to take place in historic York, following previous successful festivals in Scarborough (1996) and Whitby (1998, 2000 & 2004). We hope you will enjoy it.
The event is organised on a not-for-profit basis by highly experienced volunteers, all experienced sword dancers themselves.
City of York Council is supporting the event in many ways. But the main sponsors are the UK dancers, who quite simply enable the event to happen by buying tickets. Without their cash, there would be no Sword Spectacular.