September 13, 2014 10.51 pm This story is over 114 months old

Europe’s largest Steampunk festival returns to Lincoln

Hundreds attend: Europe’s largest Steampunk festival has made a spectacular return, and the streets of uphill Lincoln are overflowing with mechanical-Victorian sites.

Europe’s largest Steampunk festival has made a spectacular return, with uphill Lincoln overflowing with mechanical-Victorian sights.

Over 2,000 people are expected to have attended the festival, which is in its sixth year.

The Lincoln Steampunk Festival, otherwise known as The Asylum, officially kicked off on Friday, September 12 with hundreds of participants travelling to historic Lincoln venues from all over the world.

The festival combines art, literature, music, fashion and comedy across a range of retro-futuristic events such as the Mad Hatters Teas Party and Wacky Races.

The Asylum is organised by The Victorian Steampunk Society, which is a voluntary non-for-profit organisation.

What is Steampunk?

Steampunk incorporates sub-genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror and history. The setting is inspired by industrial Western civilisation during the 19th Century.

Steampunk is recognisable for its Victorian or American Wild-West-style influences combined with fictional and steam-powered machinery.

The genre often refers to fictional machines like in the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.