The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds is bringing back its legendary International Jousting Tournament for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Easter bank holiday weekend, highly-skilled jousters from Norway, Portugal and the UK will compete in full armour to show off their horse riding abilities and courage. The thud of hooves and cheers of the crowd will once more resound from the purpose-built outdoor arena at the Royal Armouries in Leeds as the teams battle it out for the Sword of Honour and the Queen’s Jubilee Trophy.
Taking place from Friday 15 April – Monday 18 April, this historical tournament recreates the sporting spectacle of knights in shining armour competing with lances on horseback, just as they would have done in the 15th century.
Tickets to the International Jousting Tournament at the Royal Armouries cost £5 for children aged 3+ and £10 for adults and are expected to sell out. Your tickets also include entry to the Royal Armouries Museum, home to the national collection of arms and armour from ancient times to the present day.
The museum, located at Leeds Dock, is free to visit and has six galleries with over 4,500 objects on display showing how history, art and culture have been shaped by arms and armour.
This jousting event links to the recently transformed Tournament gallery which reopened with a new display in 2021. This tells the story of The Field of Cloth of Gold, Henry VIII’s extravagant 1520 tournament in France and one of the most amazing political and sporting events ever staged. Highlights include armourers’ tools from Henry VIII’s armoury, gift armours for horse and man, sporting weapons and two innovative and technically splendid armours made for King Henry VIII.
International Jousting Tournament at the Royal Armouries from 15 – 18 April, with 2 shows each day at 12pm and 3pm.
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