Billings Is About to Be Invaded by Knights, Pirates, and 20,000 of Their Closest Friends

Starting next week, crews will begin transforming the MetraPark Festival Grounds into a medieval kingdom as preparations ramp up for the 2026 Montana Renaissance Festival, returning to Billings June 6-7.

According to festival organizers, the transformation begins Tuesday, when teams arrive to hang banners, build stages, place signs, and create the immersive world that has become one of Montana's most distinctive annual events.

By Friday, they'll be joined by nearly 1,000 vendors, performers, cast members, volunteers, and crew members working to turn a fairground into a bustling Renaissance village.

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It's not a small operation.

More than 20,000 people attended last year's festival, and organizers are expecting even larger crowds this year. The event has grown into the largest Renaissance festival across six states and one of the largest single-weekend Renaissance festivals in the country.

For those who have never attended, imagine a weekend where armored knights charge into full-contact jousting tournaments, pirates roam the grounds, musicians and comedians perform throughout the day, and hundreds of costumed characters bring a fantasy world to life.

Enjoy nine stages of entertainment and fun.

This year's festival will feature hundreds of vendors, nine stages of entertainment, aerial falconry demonstrations, combat exhibitions, family activities, and roughly 100,000 turkey legs. Ok, I may have made up that number, but it's almost mandatory to stroll the grounds chomping on a turkey leg at Ren Fest.

One of the biggest attractions returning this year is The Order of Epona, a Colorado-based group known for its full-contact jousting performances.

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Festival-goers will also see birds-of-prey demonstrations from Raptors Return and appearances by the Hope Falls Vaulting Club, showcasing incredible horsemanship and acrobatic skills.

The festival runs Saturday, June 6, from 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday, June 7, from 10 AM to 4 PM at MetraPark. Tickets are available online and at the gate, with single-day tickets, weekend passes, and family passes available. Kids' tickets start at $12+ fees.