European Quidditch Games to Be Held July 25 and 26

In less than three weeks, the inaugural European games are to be held in Sarteano, Italy. A dozen teams will compete in this tournament, playing on the soccer fields of the Sarteano sports arena, a five-minute walk from a city central park, Pian di Mengole.

The 12 teams participating are Belgium, Catalonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Although the actual Quidditch matches don’t begin until July 25, entertainment for attendees starts the night before. There will be live music for the public, and a dinner for the staff, players, and families will be provided. Quidditch events begin the morning of July 25 at 9 a.m. (CEST) with the Opening Ceremony. Matches will begin at 9:30 a.m., concluding around 7 p.m.

Break out your dress robes and practice your dance moves because later that evening a “Yule Ball Party” will be held! The Weird Sisters may not be performing, but live music from the Quaffle Blues Quartet will be performed at the ball, where participants are urged to dress up as their favorite characters from the series. The “Yule Cup” will be awarded to the person with the best costume. Participants are also encouraged to create a video of up to three minutes about the Harry Potter series. All videos will be played during the ball, with the best video being awarded during the night. If you’re planning on attending the event and wish to have your video shown, you can post them to this Facebook page. And please, don’t wait until the last minute to find a date; you don’t want to be stuck with a “troll.”

Don’t stay up too late dancing at the ball because the Games continue bright and early at 9 a.m. Sunday morning, with the finals beginning at 3 p.m. The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. that evening, concluding with concerts from the bands the Shy Frogs and the Dubbies. To learn more about the specific times of this tournament, you can download the schedule from the official European Quidditch Games site here.

Are you planning on attending this exciting event? Do you have your videos and costumes planned out for the Yule Ball? Let us know in the comments!