Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens St George’s Festival 2019
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 20TH AND 21ST APRIL
The London Tournament returns to the historic Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens St George’s Festival 2018
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 21ST AND 22ND APRIL
The London Tournament returns to the historic Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.
More knights, more entertainment, more carnage!
Join us for the greatest show on earth.
POST NAVIGATION
We are back! St George’s 2017 is coming to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens on 22nd and 23rd April.
Yes, a two day event this year and a late finish on Saturday night. The medieval full contact fighters will return for the third London Tournament, bringing carnage back to Steel Henge to crown a new champion. For those of you who don’t know, that means men in armour clubbing each other with axes. There will be Morris dancers, Punch & Judy, an ale and mead tent, falconry, archery for all the family and a hog roast, traditional crafts and an evening performance of Shakespeare with a fire performance of the Story of St George and the Dragon.
More details are available on the home page Here
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens St George’s Festival Saturday 23rd April 2016
The London Tournament
Order of service
12:00 London Tournament Starts – Steel Henge
1:00 Punch and Judy
1:30 Morris Dancers – Village Square
2:00 Falconry – Steel Henge
2:30 Princes in the Tower – Village Square
2:45 Tournament resumes – Steel Henge
3:00 Punch and Judy
4:00 Falconry – Steel Henge
4:30 Princes in the Tower – Village Square
4:45 Tournament resumes – Steel Henge
4:45 Punch and Judy
5:30 London Tournament Final – Steel Henge
5:45 Selections from Shakespeare, Alain English – Steel Henge
6:00 Meat Grinder match – Steel Henge
Year four welcomes back Battle of the Nations for the second London Tournament of full contact medieval combat. “Sharkey”, the London Champion, will defend his crown. All the usual attractions will be present, Punch and Judy, Falconry, archery (bigger and better because the queues were so long last year), Morris Dancers, the lass who did the kids races (she was great) and full contact fighting in Steel Henge (did we mention this?). A medieval market will spring up, do you want to buy a sword? go and see the blacksmith. The idea is to take orders for weaponry and have them made, each stage, the hilt, the blade, the bindings and the sheath, on the day, in front of your eyes and you can collect the finished article at the end. This can be a shield, a knife, an axe, a sword to take home with you as a piece of art. Maybe you can have your existing arms (cutlery?) cleaned and sharpened on a whetstone, an incredible opportunity to see traditional crafts at work in the heart of London. There will be fletchers, weavers, women washing clothes in traditional dress and theatre. Wooden swords and shields will be available for the kids. A giant pig will be cooked on a spit in a field, which we will then eat. There will be an ale and mead tent and we will drink. Come in costume and we will sing!
Here is a video of last year, it doesn’t even touch on the glory of the day: There are other videos from the day too (Yata had better have put them up)
and some photos of last year:
Come celeb
rate England’s Patron Saint at the third annual St. George’s Festival in the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens on the South bank of the River Thames. Presented by Vauxhall Trust CIC in association with the Tea House Theatre.
The festival plays host to the inaugural London Tournament. International fighters from “Battle of the Nations” will congregate on the Queen Anne Field for a tourney of medieval combat. In a full-contact, armoured, singles competition, knights from around the globe will compete to be crowned the first London Champion.
In the Agincourt Memorial Melee, the English team takes on the French team for bragging rights in the oldest rivalry.
Throughout the day, visitors will be treated to Shakespearean performances with a special focus on Henry V, Mummers Plays of St. George and the Dragon, Morris Dancers from Greensleeves Morris Men, medieval folk-rock band Princes in the Tower, and Punch & Judy puppet shows.
The Falconry Centre will present a falconry demonstration, as well as daring feats of archery.
This family-friendly festival also features activities “just for kids” including face painting and an interactive play area.
Best of all, you’ll have the chance to wander the Medieval Market with Traditional English Ale for purchase and a Hog Roast turning on a spit at the Agincourt Arms.
FREE ENTRY and open to the whole family!
History:
St. George’s Festival was the first event we put on; and it was received with a great deal of enthusiasm! Attendees enjoyed a large market selling food, drink and other local produce as well as a performance telling the epic story of St. George and his battle with the dragon. And speaking of dragons – we had our very own for the kids to chase for his scales and chocolate eggs. We had Morris dancers, rock and roll dance groups, Punch and Judy, and we presented an alfresco performance of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. We were treated to an evening of jazz and cabaret featuring Helen Wilding, and the festival carried on past the weekend with a film screening of Shakespeare’s Henry V on Monday, and our Shakespeare’s Supper on Tuesday; which was complimented by live Tudor music. For this festival we received sponsorship from KOV Forum and Vauxhall One.
Vauxhall Trust 