The Viking Festival programme has officially been unveiled this week including spectacular aeronautic displays, the return of the much loved duck race and a new venue for the Party at the Pencil.

This year’s Viking Festival runs from 27 August to 4 September. Due to budget constraints there are some changes to the timetable which the public should be aware of.

The traditional Party at the Pencil on the second Saturday of the Festival has been replaced with a Viking Festival of Fire at the new location of Broomfields.

The torchlit procession will no longer take place on the Friday evening, but is incorporated into the Viking Festival of Fire.

In another change from recent practice, the Viking Parade will depart from Morrison’s car park an hour earlier than previous years. The Parade will now begin at 1pm on Saturday 27 August.

Celebrations for the Viking Festival of Fire begin the Viking Village at 8 p.m. on Saturday 3rd September, where you can join the Vikings for a torchlit procession to Broomfields where there will be a Viking skirmish, burning of a longship and spectacular fireworks display at 9 p.m.

Viking Festival Treasurer Ray Young said; “The Festival has been arranged in difficult financial times for both the organisers and our main sponsor, North Ayrshire Council, who have had to withdraw from organising and funding Party at the Pencil due to budget cuts”.

“The public should be aware of the changes. In particular, and in order to allow our full programme of events, the Viking Parade will begin at 1pm, not 2pm as in previous years. And the torchlit procession will not now take place on the Friday evening. Instead there will be a procession on the second Saturday at 8pm, which will join with the new Viking Festival of Fire at Broomfields”.

Please check the Festival website at www.largsvikingfestival.com for the full programme.