Roskilde Festival - Northern Europe’s largest

Across eight festival days, visitors can experience a wide-ranging programme with international stars and emerging talent in Roskilde on Zealand, west of Copenhagen.

More than music

The festival is known for its distinctive atmosphere and strong sense of community. People of all ages come together around music, art, culture and volunteering. All profits from the festival are donated to humanitarian and cultural causes, with a particular focus on children and young people.

Orange Stage - an icon

The distinctive Orange Stage is the festival’s main stage and symbol. It has hosted some of the festival’s most legendary concerts and is now an internationally recognised landmark of Roskilde Festival. Performing on the Orange Stage is considered an honour for both established and emerging artists.

Climate and environmental initiatives

Roskilde Festival prepares greenhouse-gas inventories and works on energy use, food, waste and recycling. Read about the festival’s climate and environmental work.

Practical information

The festival takes place at Dyrskuepladsen, Roskilde’s outdoor showground. Find the current programme, festival dates and tickets for your visit.

10 facts about Roskilde Festival

1. Founded in 1971 - by two upper-secondary school students

   The festival began as a small experiment with around 10,000 participants. It was taken over by a non-profit organisation in 1972 and quickly grew.

2. Northern Europe’s largest festival

   More than 130,000 people take part each year, including around 30,000 volunteers. This makes Roskilde Festival one of the largest cultural festivals in Europe.

3. Profits donated to good causes

   All profits from the festival are donated to social, cultural and environmental causes around the world.

4. Legendary names on the Orange Stage

   From Bob Marley (1978) and Nirvana (1992) to Kendrick Lamar (2023). The Orange Stage is one of Europe’s most iconic concert venues.

5. Orange Stage - an icon since 1978

   The stage was built for a Rolling Stones tour and later bought second-hand by Roskilde Festival. Today, it is the festival’s defining symbol.

6. Camp Life - a festival within the festival

   Creative camps, themed parties and DIY culture have turned Roskilde’s campsite into a cultural phenomenon in its own right.

7. Roskilde has its own waterworks and supermarket

   The festival site functions as a temporary city with its own infrastructure, including drinking-water supplies, recycling stations and grocery shops.

8. Energy, food and materials

   The festival’s environmental work includes energy use, food, waste sorting and recycling.

9. Volunteering at its core

   The festival is run by more than 30,000 volunteers, from bartenders to engineers. This makes Roskilde Festival one of the world’s largest volunteer-run events.

10. A cultural movement

    Roskilde Festival is not just a festival - it is also a platform for activism, artistic expression and youth culture.