Jousting, goblins and furries: Dispatch from a UK renaissance faire
Renaissance fairs are booming in America, now they're on UK soil too. Anna Moloney dons a doublet and investigates.
In Quex Park, where Anna Moloney attended the second UK Renaissance Faire, the crowds were filled with elves, fairies, and furries. The festival, subtitled 'Crossing of the World II', took place in a medieval-ish land with a storyline about mermaids versus steampunk. It featured jousts, goblin raves, masked balls, maypole dancing, and wizard wrestling.
The event drew around 14,000 attendees over three days. Furries, people who dress up as anthropomorphic animals, were particularly prominent. The festival aimed to create a world inspired by 16th century England, though it leaned more towards fantasy. Despite its popularity, the UK ren faire scene is still relatively new. The rise of ren faire culture coincides with a broader revival in medieval chic, from Chappell Roan performing in chainmail to Instagram tutorials on making conical princess hats.
The medieval period has been associated with a better, nobler time in the past, despite its associations with plague, death, and violence. This fascination with the Middle Ages continues to be a collective, imaginative playground, only tangentially tethered to history.
Written by urgent.news from City AM's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
