11 Danish Music Festivals To Visit For An Unforgettable Summer
Updated: Oct 28, 2023
During the cold, dark winter months here in Denmark, what really helps is to have something to look forward to. We suggest, to keep you sane, that you take a look at all the wonderful festivals you can attend in and around Denmark! So you can remember to let go, enjoy the weather, good company and the best bands from all around the world. Continue reading to find out more about the 10 music festivals you need to check out.
1. Roskilde Festival
The Roskilde festival is one of the biggest music festivals in Denmark and the whole of Scandinavia. It was established in 1971 by two high schoolers Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller together with promoter Carl Fischer. This actually makes the Roskilde festival one of the oldest music festivals in Europe as they have been going strong every year since then! Even though the festival was initially meant for the hippie community, over the years it became an event for the the mainstream audience as well. The next festival for instance will host Taylor Swift and other great artists from all around the world. The Roskilde festival is also putting a lot of focus on the environmental and social aspects of the festival. Almost everything is run by thousands of volunteers then attend the festival for free. Also, the festival manages to lower its resource consumption and CO2 emission year by year.
Date: 27.6 - 4.7.2020
Full pass: 2250 DKK
2. Smukfest
Or "Denmark's most beautiful festival" as the festival is positioned inside the beech forest in Skanderborg and generally embraces the hippie concepts such as cosmic love and nakedness. The first Smukfest was in 1980 hosting 7 bands and 600 spectators. Since those days it has grown into the one of the biggest festivals in Denmark only second only to the Roskilde festival. The average numbers of 50.000 visitors each day and many international artists have visited Smukfest over the years: Britney Spears, Rihanna, Ozzy Osbourne, Avicii.
What makes the festival so beautiful aren't only the numbers or the artists, but also the fact that the whole Smukfest is nonprofit.
Tickets are gone very fast with this particular festival, so if you want to go, you gotta be ready to pull the trigger when the tickets are released.
Date: 5.8 - 9.8.2020
3. NorthSide festival
For the next festival, we are moving to the Aarhus. The NorthSide festival started back in 2010 and ever since that, it has become one of the major festivals in Denmark. In 2017 the average number of visitors per day went up to 40 000. Similarly to the Roskilde festival, the NorthSide festival tries it's best to be as sustainable as possible. They collaborate with the consulting company Worldperfect and manages to reduce their waste and increasing their usage of CO2 neutral green energy. Aside from that, almost 100% of all the food and beverages at the festival are organic. In 2020 you can come to see Green Day, Lukas Graham and more amazing bands.
Date: 4.6 - 6.6.2020
Full pass: 1895 DKK
4. Copenhell
Are you a fan of headbanging and moshpits? Then you really shouldn't miss out on Copenhell. It is the biggest rock and metal festival in Denmark since 2010 held on Refshaleøen in Copenhagen. Visitors can expect three main stages with many local and international bands playing various styles of rock and metal. Many prominent rock and heavy bands have visited Copenhell such as Kiss, Iron Maiden, Korn, Judas Priest, and many others.
Date: 17.6 - 20.6.2020
Full pass: 1940 DKK
5. Tinderbox
"Where the words fail, music speaks". This is the slogan of Tinderbox, the music festival located in Odense on the island Fyn. The festival started in 2015 and in 2019 managed to attract around 45.000 visitors. Every year Tinderbox manages to bring more and more internationally famous bands and singers. In 2020 you can look forward to artists like Lenny Kravitz, Lukas Graham, and Post Malone.
Date: 25.6 - 27.6.2020
Full pass: 1945 DKK
6. Tønder Festival
Are you up for something new and different? Are you fed up with all the enormous pop festivals? Then you should definitely try the Tønder festival, which is a rock/folk festival in Denmark. Established in 1974, Tønder festival brings a certain charm as it is rooted in folk, root rock, country, blues, cajun and many more types of outlandish music. The Tønder festival is famous for its unique atmosphere, where next to the big stage you may find small and intimate sessions. Everything under one festival.
Date: 27.8 - 30.8.2020
Full pass: 1590 DKK
7. Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Moving further and further from the mainstream, we have reached the Copenhagen Jazz festival. Similarly to many other festivals, it was established in the previous century, specifically in 1979. However, the first event of the same name took place in 1964. Since those days the Copenhagen Jazz festival attracts around 250.000 visitors every year.
Many of the concerts and sessions are for free and all the visitors can expect artists from all around the world.
The festival always starts on first Friday in July and lasts for 10 days.
Date: 3.7 - 12.7.2020
8. Grøn Koncert
Started in 1983 and originally created as a single concert, commemorating 400th anniversary of the theme park Dyrehavsbakken, it has become an annual tradition. The concert has since evolved and is now scheduled in several cities all across Denmark. Importantly, Grøn concert is not only about the music, but very well known for donating it's proceeds to a foundation working with muscular dystrophy.
9. Stella Polaris
From jazz all the way to electronic music. Yes, if electronic music is your cup of tea then you need to give Stella Polaris a chance. The festival started back in 1997 and was created by Kalle Bremer and Nicka Kirstejn. It is a one-day festival which takes place in different cities around Denmark in at different dates in the summertime. The cities are Kolding, Sønderborg
Dates: 26.7.2020 (Kolding), 27.7.2020 (Sønderborg), 28.7.2020 (Aarhus), 3.8.2020 (Frederiksberg)
10. G! Festival
The last entry on our list is a G! festival. This one can also serve as an honorable mention because, even though it is a Danish festival, it is not in Denmark. If you wish to visit the G! festival, you will have to go to Syðrugøta in the Faroe Islands. Which is a bit further away than the other festivals on this list. Established in 2002, It has become one of the two biggest festivals on the Faroe Islands.
According to reviews, the atmosphere is incredible and really completes the amazing experience of the G! festival What makes the G! festival so amazing is according to the reviews the atmosphere of the rocky Faroe Islands.
Next year you can look forward to the Phlake and other incredible bands.
Date: 16.7 - 18.7.2020
Full pass: 875 DKK
11. Heartland Festival
The Heartland festival is a special festival on our list, as it is not strictly a music festival. While the music still plays a large role, this festival is devoted to live talks, contemporary art and food as well.
The live talks are divided into what is known as Heartland talks and future talks, which both host many local and international guests. The food section focuses on many different aspects of cuisine, the tasty, the creative, but also that which is sustainable and locally sourced. Lastly, the festival believes that the art being showcased should speak to people from all different walks of life.
Date: 29.5 - 31.5.2020
Full pass: 1990 DKK
