Cold, dark winters lead to explosive, musical summers in Scandinavia. A region known for being cool, in every way possible, means you can expect the greatest lineups, a touch of class, and an expensive pint.
Scandinavia is famous for having the happiest people in the world, with all the Nordic countries being placed in the top positions of the World Happiness Report for the past few years. Its high societal trust, strong welfare systems, relatively low crime, low unemployment, and even low levels of issues like problem gambling mean that there are far fewer people who consider themselves unhappy.
So, if they can do happiness and life well, they certainly know how to throw a good festival, and the Roskilde Festival in Denmark is one to keep an eye on.
About
Held in Roskilde in Denmark, Roskilde Festival is one of the biggest and oldest festivals in Northern Europe. Diverse and eclectic in its musical stylings, it welcomes stars of rock, pop, urban and electronic music for a weeklong music bonanza. In 2022 alone, it was headlined by The Blaze, Dua Lipa, Haim, Jada, The Strokes and many other fantastic artists and bands.
Hitting the festival world hard, Roskilde has been wowing huge crowds for over half a century, since 1971. Not only does it host an unparalleled lineup, but it has also been helping to create a positive social impact and running as a non-profit organization since its second year of life. Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Save the Children and The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are just a few of the organizations who have received donations from the festival. It’s all made possible by the staggering number of volunteers (around 32,000), who sign on to work before, during and after the event.
Eight days long and with about 180 acts, Roskilde is more than just its music and social conscience. It has developed a reputation for its art, activism, freedom, impressive campsites, and bizarre traditions, one of which is the notorious “Naked run” – no more information required.
Getting There
Roskilde is a 30-minute train ride from Copenhagen Central Station. During the festival, there is a special train available that goes to Roskilde station and the festival. It’s only 10 minutes long and won’t set a budget back.
Camping
Staying at the festival is as much of an experience as the musical acts themselves, with options to pre-book or stay at the regular campsite. The regular camping area allows festival goers to choose their own spot to pitch up a tent, leaving the everyday life behind and throwing themselves into an array of experiences, events and fellow fantastic people around the campsite.
Roskilde is a community, and the camping area offers the first glimpse of this. With food stalls, shopping facilities, cloakrooms, showers (cold for free or warm at a price) and toilets, the area is perfectly set up to meet all the camper’s needs.
There are also special camping options, so people can enjoy the festival in their own style. This includes caravan camping, areas to bring your own bus to sleep in, reserved pitches, sites where tents have already been pitched for you, and even “tenthouses” for those who want a little more than just a tent.
For those who like a quieter and calmer camping experience, there is also the “Silent and Clean” option, where guests must help each other to keep the space clean, and where there are no noisy parties or constant loud music.
Tickets
There are many options for joining the Roskilde festivities, from day tickets to whole week tickets with access to the camping areas. Children under the age of 10 can get in for free, while 10 – 14-year-olds pay a discounted price. Those aged 15 and over pay the full price.
Final Thoughts
If you happen to be travelling through Denmark between the end of June through to early July next year – more specifically Saturday 24th of June until Saturday 1st of July – you may be in with a chance of experiencing this spectacular festival. Follow their news channel to keep up to date on any relevant information.
