Full Contact Medieval Tournament Combat returns to Bloodstock

Bloodstock Open Air 2014

Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th August 2014
Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent, Derbyshire, DE12 8LN, England MAP
£130 weekend incl camping (+ booking fees)

Daily capacity: 12,000

The full-contact Medieval fighting squad, Battle of the Nations will return to Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Hall, in South Derbyshire in August with medieval combatants holding a series of historical re-enactment battles and displays across the weekend in a special arena at the festival happening from Thursday 7th until Sunday 10th August at Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent, in South Derbyshire.

Expect even bigger and more explosive bouts of historic violence, including plans for the current World Champions, Russia to compete. Full-contact Medieval fighting is huge in Eastern Europe and Russia, where the sport originates from.

Full Contact Medieval Tournament Combat is a full contact sport that revives the tradition of medieval tournament combat. It is fought to a strict set of rules and is rigorously marshalled. Four different event types have evolved ÂÂ single combat (1 vs. 1), 5 vs. 5, 21 vs. 21, and 'all against all' - the mother of showdowns where the last man standing is quite literally the best in the world!

Single combat is fought as three categories consisting of long sword, sword and buckler, and sword and shield. It is scored in a similar way to fencing, with the number of hits counting.

Although small by comparison on our shores, interest in the UK is growing all the time and has skyrocketed recently with the premiere on BBC3 of 'Knight Club' an hour long documentary following the stories of four young fighters as they prepared for the 2013 World Championships in France.

Team UK, were competing for the first time in 2013, and won the 'Best Team Debut' award and finished a respectable 8th out of 44 overall in the 'five-versus-five' bouts. They were eventually defeated by the victorious Russian team, and so there will be a matter of honour to settle when Russia and the UK meet once again on the battlefield.

UK Team Captain Mark Annable said, "Team UK are more fired up than ever following the huge response to 'Knight Club' and the chance to better our result last year. A sequel must be better than your debut to keep your fans happy and we aim to please, both in Trogir 2014 and when we return to Bloodstock!"

This year's music sees headliners Down, Emperor, and Megadeth, joined on the heavywight line-up by a bill that includes Biohazard, Orphaned Land, Rotting Christ, Sister Sin, Satan, Aborted, ReVamp, Hatebreed, Prong, Carcass, Lacuna Coil, Primordial, Saxon, Flotsam and Jetsam, Decapitated, Obituary, and Evil Scarecrow, with Amon Amarth, Crowbar, and Children Of Bodom also festival exclusives.

For the line-up details as available please click here.

As well as the international heavy metal bands across four stages, Bloodstock will offer a large selection of merchandise stalls, metal karaoke, a campsite and a wide selection of food and bars.

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Tickets are priced at £130 for adults with camping (+ booking fees), and car parking is priced at £16, child (aged 4 - 11 years) tickets are priced at £35, and campervan passes priced at £50. Day tickets are expected to be on sale at a later date. VIP options are also available.

There is also a deposit scheme available until until midnight on Friday 7th March to help spread the payments for a 2014 weekend ticket to three installments of around £40.

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