Copenhagen - Annual Events
January
New Year Concerts - The Danish Radios' Symphony Orchestra concerts are held on January 12th and 13th in Falkoner Salen. You can find tickets at www.billetnet.dk
February and March
Night Film Festival - During 10 days in the month of March more than 100 international films are shown in their original language. www.natfilm.dk
April
Queen Margrethe's Birthday - Celebrated on April 16th at Amalienborg, the royal residential castle, in Copenhagen. On this occasion the royal guards are in full ceremonial dress and the queen waves to the crowds from the palace balcony at noon.
May
Carnival - Copenhagen, together with other big cities in Denmark, has only recently started the Carnival tradition. The first carnival, held in 1982, was such a resounding success that made it become an annual feature of the Danish and Copenhagen calendar of events.
www.karneval.dk
June
Sankt Hans Eve (Midsummer Eve -June 23rd) - Celebrated with bonfires all around Denmark.
July
Roskilde Festival - Probably one of the biggest music festivals in Europe, held in Roskilde, about 30 minutes drive south-west of Copenhagen. The festival itself lasts four days, but the almost 100.000 people camping in the assigned areas, put down their tents the week before, extending the duration of this festival to a full week.
Artists come from all over the world, from the very famous to the quite new. The festival is normally sold out. Sales start the year before, in December. The money raised is donated to charity.
www.roskildefestival.com
Copenhagen Jazz Festival - The biggest entertainment event of the year in the capital. From the first Friday in July you can enjoy 10 days of jazz, blues and fusion music with 500 indoor and outdoor concerts.
www.jazzfestival.dk
August
Hamlet Summer Plays - Theatre performances of Shakespeare's Hamlet take place at Kronborg Slot (castle) in Helsingør, on the north of the island of Zealand (Sjælland).
Copenhagen Pride Parade - The festive gay pride parade marches with Carnival-like costumes through the center of the capital.
www.copenhagen-pride.dk
Golden Days in Copenhagen - A two weeks event in the capital celebrating art, poetry, theatre battle and concerts focusing on Denmark's 'Golden Age' (1800-1850).
www.goldendays.dk
October
Kulturnat in København (Night of culture) - A night where the city opens its doors to art and culture after normal hours and to places normally not accessible to the public. You can get into ministries, courthouses, the stock exchange and the queen's guard's quarters to mention a few. Approximately 300 venues are ready to welcome you from 6 pm to midnight.
A Night of Culture badge (kulturpas) gives free admission to events and free public transport within Greater Copenhagen. Children under the age of 11 enter for free. Price per badge including a programme for the night: DKK 75 (10 Euro). Ask for an English program, which consists of excerpts of the Danish program relating to events not determined by language.
The badge and program are available at the participating museums, libraries and at S-train stations.
For more information in English about this event, or to buy the tickets online click here.
Danish website: www.kulturnat.dk
December
Christmas Fairs - Fairs are held in many places around town during this month, but the most popular and famous one is the Christmas Fair in the Tivoli Gardens.
