<PAGE>
MFS WORLD GROWTH FUND
a series of MFS Series Trust VIII
Supplement to the March 1, 1995 Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information
As disclosed in its Prospectus under the caption "Management of the
Fund," the MFS World Growth Fund has retained Massachusetts Financial Services
Company ("MFS") as its investment adviser and MFS has, in turn, retained
Batterymarch Financial Management, Inc. ("Batterymarch") and Oechsle Investment
Advisors, L.P. ("Oechsle") as sub-advisers to the Fund. Under this arrangement,
the Fund pays an investment advisory fee to MFS and MFS (not the Fund) pays
sub-advisory fees to Batterymarch and Oechsle.
On December 13, 1995, the Board of Trustees of the Trust approved the
replacement of Batterymarch as a sub-adviser to the Fund with Foreign & Colonial
Management Limited ("FCM") and its subsidiary, Foreign & Colonial Emerging
Markets Limited ("FCEM"), subject to approval by the shareholders of the Fund.
This would not affect the amount of the investment management fee the Fund pays
to MFS.
FCM has a history of money management dating from 1868 and the
establishment of the world's oldest closed-end fund, Foreign & Colonial
Investment Trust PLC. As of November 30, 1995, FCM managed approximately $19
billion of assets, including approximately $13 billion of assets in equity
securities and approximately $6 billion of assets in fixed income securities.
FCEM serves as the investment adviser to public closed-end and open-end funds
and segregated accounts specializing in emerging markets. As of November 30,
1995, FCEM managed approximately $3 billion of assets invested in emerging
markets.
If approved by the Fund's shareholders, FCM and FCEM would assume from
Batterymarch responsibility for providing portfolio management services for the
assets of the Fund invested in emerging markets on or about April 1, 1996.
The Date of this Supplement is January 6, 1996.
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
500 BOYLSTON STREET o BOSTON o MASSACHUSETTS 02116-3741
617 954-5000
