After three years away, the Robin Hood Festival is returning to Sherwood Forest this summer — and with a new look.

There will be knights, outlaws, heroes, and Vikings as well as outdoor cinema and more.

The festival, which celebrates the legacy of the world’s most-famous outlaw, will this year run over seven weekends, from late July to the end of August.

There will be 24 days of events, including historical re-enactments from the era of the Vikings to the Middle Ages.

Weekend one begins with Sherwood Forest’s first ever outdoor cinema event on Saturday, 16th July, showing Disney’s Robin Hood at 4pm and medieval blockbuster A Knight’s Tale at 7pm.

On Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th July, the jousting begins with the Knights of Nottingham historical equine display team. There will be entertainment, including music, magic, comedy from the madcap Medieval Maniax, and storytelling.

Weekend three (Friday, 29th July-Monday, 1st August) sees the Lord Thomas Stanley Retinue bring a taste of the Tudor times.

There will also be a Medieval Sports Day to take part in for those with a competitive streak or who just love to take part.

From Thursday 4th to Sunday, 7th August the Cavalry of Heroes will host displays of medieval horsemanship, including jousting and archery.

The following weekend, from Friday 12th to Monday, 15th August, there is the chance to relive the time of the Vikings with the Regia Anglorum group recreating the era of Scandinavian occupation of England in the early Middle Ages. Visitors can also enjoy twilight story walks into the heart of the forest.

Weekend six is all about the work of the RSPB, the UK’s largest conservation charity, which manages the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve.

There will be a chance to discover more about the society’s efforts to create a home for nature and to protect wildlife in different locations and landscapes across the country.

The festivities conclude over August bank holiday weekend with Sherwood Forest hosting the Nottinghamshire Day Festival on 27th August.

The Sherwood Outlaws will be performing the legends and battles of Robin Hood across the weekend.

Jess Dumoulin, visitor experience manager at Sherwood Forest and Budby South Forest, said: “We know many people have waited a very long time to come back to the Robin Hood Festival and it’s brilliant to be able to confirm its return this summer.

“The pandemic meant that we lost two years of this great event, which has been so popular with visitors over almost four decades. We hope to capture the spirit of the Middle Ages, the time that the legends of Robin Hood took root.

“We wanted to ensure that as many people as possible could come along and take part, which is why we have decided to hold it across seven weekends.

“It means visitors can come and enjoy a range of different shows and displays at different times across the weekends.

“There will be battles and skirmishes, but also times for quiet enjoyment. We’ll have entertainment across the reserve, from the Visitor Centre to the Major Oak and there will be lots for everyone to see, experience and enjoy.”

Full details are available at www.visitsherwood.co.uk/events/robin-hood-festival-2022/

Picture by Ben Andrew (RSPB Images)