Viking Festival & Market

Gudvangen has a long tradition of arranging an annual Viking market. This is an international festival with participants from many countries. During the five-day festival, people wear authentic Viking costumes and live a traditional life as in the 800s.

May 31st 2017, the world’s largest Viking village, with authentic buildings and a harbour, opened here. Modern vikings populate the village and work with crafts, build ships and other typical activities in Viking life.
 

The annual Viking Festival is arranged at the Viking Farm at Avaldsnes during a weekend every June. During this weekend, the Viking Farm at Bukkøy is filled with Vikings, visitors and many events. Vikings from Norway and Europe turn back time to re-enact and relive the Viking Age.

There is a large market where the Vikings sell various crafts and local, traditional food. You will also be treated to traditional Viking music, and have the opportunity participate in various activities such as horseback riding, rowing, witnessing the iron-smith in his workshop, and much more.
 

The story behind the play Giskespelet is from the time around the year 1030, just before and after the battle of Stiklestad.

The play is derived from Snorre Sturlason’s story about King Olav II, known as King Olav the Holy. In the play, we meet men and women from the powerful Giske family, and we learn how their bonds with the King affects the family's fate.

The play was performed for the first time in 1995, and started out as a school project at the local elementary and junior high school. Today, there are 200 people and sometimes professional actors involved in the production.