THE COTSWOLD OLIMPICKS | HOME OF THE WORLD SHIN-KICKING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday 2nd June 2023
The Gamesbuy tickets
Robert Dover’s Games
Shin-Kicking
Champion of the Hill
Championship of the Hill
Running Races
Tug ‘O War
History of Games
The History
These historic games were first held more than 12 centuries after the last ancient Greek Olympics and almost 3 centuries before the modern Olympic Games, which began in 1896. 2023 will celebrate our 411th anniversary and the games are still held in the arena that bears the founder’s name – Dover’s Hill.
It now also marks the end of festival season in Chipping Campden, following hot on the heels of the International Music Festival and the Literary Festival. If you’re heading here on holiday, you might as well make a weekend of it and stay for Scuttlebrook Wake on the Saturday.
Gallery of Games
A word from a friend…
"...Events come and go; the novelty passes. But Robert Dover's Games continue to attract crowds to Dover's Hill on a late May or early June evening. One may ask why and offer emotional reasons - The setting has its romantic qualities. The sound of a band, particularly a pipe band, echoing across a hillside can be haunting. Bearing a torch aloft can evoke the past. Combine all three elements in the procession from the hillside as darkness falls and one can feel part of the agelessness of ways in which people have always enjoyed themselves."
— Dr Francis Burns - A life-long friend to and scholar of The Games.
Friends of the games
The Cotswold Olimpicks is funded by gate receipts and the generous donations from the local and wider communities. When the games were first held in 1612, £10,000 was spent on creating the spectacle we know and love – that’s roughly £1.2m in today’s money. Fortunately we’ve managed to reduce that considerably but we still need around £25,000 a year to stage the games. If you or your company would like to help, or get involved, please talk to us about how you can make a lasting impact to one of the country’s most important historic sporting events.
Volunteers
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization and Olimpick community, and their dedication and service are greatly appreciated. It is important to recognize the efforts of volunteers and to show them respect and appreciation for the work they do and we ask that all visitors to the games do this too.
