07/04/2026
🔥 Hot Off The Press – A Very Special Addition for Saturday 18th April 🔥
This one is particularly close to my heart, and I’m incredibly proud to announce that we are welcoming Ibutho Izinkanyezi UK — a nationwide Zulu living history group — to the International Living History Festival at the Royal Gunpowder Mills.
The Royal Gunpowder Mills played a vital role in supplying gunpowder to British forces during many of the major Victorian-era conflicts, including the Anglo-Zulu War and the Boer War — making this an especially fitting and powerful addition to the weekend.
Ibutho Izinkanyezi UK will be providing:
• Talks on the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Matabele Wars (1879–1896)
• Arena performances of Zulu drill and traditional war dances
• A unique opportunity to engage with an often under-represented perspective of these historic conflicts
And continuing the Zulu War theme…
Historian John Young will also be delivering theatre talks both days on the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, offering further insight into one of the most famous engagements of the Anglo-Zulu War.
This is exactly what the International Living History Festival is all about — bringing history to life, telling multiple perspectives, and creating powerful, immersive experiences.
With 43 groups already attending from Bronze Age to WW2, this is shaping up to be our biggest and most diverse ILHF yet.
🎟 Advance tickets available (cheaper than on the gate) https://www.ticketsource.com/rgm/t-lddnypq
📍 Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey
📅 18th–19th April 2026
More exciting announcements coming soon… 👀
