Copenhagen Events and Festivals

(Copenhagen, Denmark)

A truly 24-hour city with a huge selection of things to do, Copenhagen is much more than just a party city and boasts an array of cultural festivals. Many of the most popular events take place at the city's various concert halls and theatres, such as the Bellevue Teatret on the Strandvejen, the Det Kongelige Teater (Royal Danish Theatre) on the Kongens Nytorv, the Forum in the nearby municipality of Frederiksberg, and the Copenhagen Opera House on the Tordenskjoldsgade, which was opened as recently as 2005 and enjoys a scenic waterfront situation in the Holmen area.

Some of the biggest and best festivals in Copenhagen take place in June, July and August, with summer favourites including the bonfires on Midsummer Eve, the nearby Danish Derby, the Roskildefestivalen rock concerts, and the Jazz Festival, which boasts a true cornucopia of some 500 different concerts. One to look out for is the Copenhagen Summer Festival, which takes place each year at the end of July and features exceptional chamber music at the Charlottenborg ceremonial hall.

Copenhagen Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• New Year's Flea Market - mid-January, the first market of the year at the Forum, a chance to purchase some local Danish handicrafts at bargain prices

February

• International Fashion Fair - mid-February, the Copenhagen Forum plays host to the latest fashion designs, with catwalk shows, glamorous models and plenty of fashion accessories for sale
• Copenhagen Fashion Festival - mid-February, a range of events, open to the public based, around fashion, styling and make-up
• International Boat Show - late February to early March, a simply massive boat show of epic proportions, held at the city's Bella Centre and boasting many beautiful and rather expensive yachts

March

• Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition - mid-March, art exhibitions at the Royal Danish Academy of Art, where local Danish artists are always well represented
• Natfilm Festivalen (Night Film Festival) - late March / early April, first held in the late 1980s and now drawing crowds of more than 45,000 festival-goers

April

• Easter Flea Market - mid-April, a weekend event at the Forum, with a definite Eastern theme

May

• Green Mermaid Festival - mid-May, a four-day event with a strong environmental theme, celebrating the city's commitment to the environment
• Copenhagen Carnival - mid-May, a somewhat off-beat parade with samba dancing and street entertainment, over the Whitsunday weekend
• Swingin' Copenhagen - late May, with jazz played in many of the city's public squares, parks and clubs
• Copenhagen Marathon - late May, thousands of Danish athletes, both amateur and professional, compete in this well-supported race through the central streets, starting and finishing on the Vester Voldgade

June

• Midsummer Eve - June 23rd, bonfires and fireworks at Faelledparken, also known as 'Sankt Hans' eve
• Danish Derby - late June, Denmark's biggest horse race, held close to Copenhagen, at nearby Klampenborg
• Forum Copenhagen - June, July and August, many trade shows, exhibitions, conferences and shows take place at the Forum during the summer months. Located in the very heart of the city and on the Julius Thomsens Plads, the Forum often features a range of family orientated entertainment, both by day and night

July

• Roskildefestivalen - early July, running since 1971 this is now one of the largest rock festivals on the planet, thousands upon thousands of concert-goers arrive in Roskilde each July, close to Copenhagen. Many choose to camp onsite and tents are available for a small price
• Copenhagen Jazz Festival - mid-July, this blues event is now amongst the city's biggest music festivals, with its many concerts performed over a period of a fortnight, often in the open air
• Copenhagen Summer Festival - late July to early August, with the performances of classical chamber music at the Charlottenborg Ceremonial Hall being a definite highlight

August

• Copenhagen Summer Baroque - mid-August, a classical music feast, held over three-days in the middle of August
• Fashion Fair - mid-August, an international fashion fair lasting four days and taking place each year at the Bella Centre, within the Amager area of the city

September

• Golden Days in Copenhagen - early September, remembering the golden age of the early 19th century, when the city was growing and developing at a rapid pace. Many traditional events take place all around the city, including performances at the Royal Theatre and similar venues
• Kulturbro - mid-September to mid-December, a biennial event established in 2000 to celebrate art and culture in the city, more than 100 different museums, theatres and similar venues participate
• ART Copenhagen - late September, an established celebration of art, held annually at the Forum. Over the years, this art event has gained a huge following and impressive reputation, growing to become one of the world's most significant art-related trade fairs currently in existence
• Copenhagen Blues Festival - late September, an event for jazz lovers everywhere, attracting jazz artists and groups from around Denmark and throughout Europe. This is always well-attended and you can be sure of large crowds
• International Film Festival - late September, one of Denmark's leading mobile events, with many new European films screened and notable Danish filmmakers regularly in attendance

October

• Healthy Lifestyle Show - mid-October, at the Copenhagen Forum and boasting more than 100 exhibitors from the health and fitness industry
• Night of Culture - mid-October, more than 100,000 visitors flock to the Night of Culture, when all of the city's many museums, art galleries and theatres remain open until the early hours of the morning and boast an array of events, including exhibitions and live music for all ages

November

• Antiques and International Coin Fair - early November, collectors head to the Copenhagen Forum for everything from jewellery to historic coins from yesteryear
• Irish Festival - early November, expect to experience a host of traditional Gaelic music, dancing, food and whisky
• Copenhagen Autumn Jazz - throughout November, a seasonal series of jazz concerts held every year in the city since the middle of the 1990s and performed at many central venues over a period of four days
• Dansescenen - early November, with dancers arriving from many Scandinavian countries and performing their very own musical interpretations

December

• Christmas Flea Market - early December, a chance to pick up last-minute Danish handicrafts and stocking fillers, held at the Copenhagen Forum
• Copenhagen Masters - throughout December, major badminton tournaments organised by the Danish Badminton Union and taking place at the central Cirkusbygningen (Cirkus Building)