It's almost time! You're probably looking forward to pitching your tent, enjoying lots of great music, and spending many days in good company. But it can also be overwhelming when experiencing Roskilde Festival transforming into Denmark's fourth-largest city in no time for the first time.
Fear not! Here are answers to all your burning questions.
It's your first time going, so let's start with an introduction. Roskilde Festival is a non-profit event that gathers 130,000 people each year. Of these, about 30,000 are volunteers who help create the festival.
The festival area is divided into two parts: the camping site and the inner festival site. When camping opens on Saturday, June 29 at 16:00, we begin what we call the First Days. And with a full festival ticket, you will of course experience a lot in the summer sun before a sea of experiences in front of the largest stages calls you from Wednesday onwards.
You can spend your time attending concerts with tomorrow’s stars on the EOS and Gaia stages, listening to activist talks at Flokkr, and participating in various camp parties.
The heart of the festival site opens on Wednesday, July 3, and from here you can listen to some of the world's biggest artists, explore our culinary laboratory, Food Court, or browse around the Bazar area.
Thousands of attendees arrive at the festival site when it opens on Saturday, June 29 at 16:00. Therefore, it can be a good idea to plan how to get there most easily.
In our entrance map, you can see where your camping area is located. You can also see the various Wristband Exchange zones where you can exchange your ticket for a festival wristband.
With a full festival ticket, you have the option to stay in our camping areas. We have a wide variety of camping areas to suit every taste.
Get the full overview of camping here
Most of the Special Camping sites are sold out, and Community Camping is fully booked. However, you can still secure a spot in Rent Your Tent, which guarantees you a reserved space with a ready-to-move-in tent. You can also stay in our regular camping areas, located in West. Here, you can choose your own spot and set up your tent when you arrive at the festival.
Whether it's your first or tenth time at Roskilde Festival, we all need to retreat now and then. Fortunately, there are areas that are quieter than the rest of the festival.
You can, for example, visit The Garden between the Orange Stage and Avalon, where there is space to relax in the shade of many trees. Also, stop by The Yard in East City and the areas around The Swimming Lake and The Fishing Lake, where you can take a dip or relax on the grass.
You can find these calm places on the festival map. Download our app so you have the map ready right at your fingertips. Look for our 'Calm Areas,' marked with a meditating person.
It's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed by eight days at the festival. If you sense that it’s becoming too much, there's no shame in taking a break. You can always choose to spend an afternoon or a night elsewhere to recharge.
You'll find flush toilets scattered across the festival grounds, with sinks at all toilet locations. We have various urinals for both seated and standing use on the festival site.
In collaboration with Herbox, we have dispensers at 15 different toilet islands on the grounds, where you can get free tampons and sanitary pads.
You can easily maintain your home bathing routines and feel fresh and clean throughout the festival. We offer both cold and hot showers, as well as communal and gender-separated showers.
The sun rises early in the summer, and neighbouring camps don't always keep the party to themselves. Sleep masks and earplugs can be your salvation for a good night's sleep.
Proper camping gear can also be crucial for a good sleeping experience. Make sure to invest in some sturdy gear that keeps the rain out and gives you a comfortable night's sleep. Plus, the best part is that you can reuse your equipment when you head out again next year. If you don't want to drag around tents, pavilions, and other gear, you can rent quality equipment from us.
If you've been up late, an afternoon nap might be just what you need to get back on track. And remember, you sleep better if you're not too drunk.
Finally, you're there. Standing in front of Orange Stage. The first concert at Orange Stage can be many things – exciting, magnificent, but perhaps also a bit overwhelming? What are people doing in the pit – and what is a pit anyway?
The pit is the area closest to the stage, cordoned off for your and everyone's safety. Here, a limited number of audience members are allowed in to experience the big artists up close. This is also where the party really gets going!
For a great first experience in the pit at Orange Stage, it's a good idea to position yourself at the back fence. As the audience naturally moves forward, you'll have plenty of space around you at the back of the pit while still being very close to the concert. If you feel like it and there's room, you can move further forward.
If you or anyone around you feels uncomfortable during a concert, crowd safety, wearing orange vests, can help.
In the music program, some of the concerts are marked with a High Energy icon. This means that you can expect a lot of activity among the audience in front of the stage.
Here are 2 tips to ensure an even better concert experience:
Plan your concerts and allow plenty of time to move from place to place. It takes longer than expected to get from one stage to another, and it's just not fun to miss the start of a show!
If you want to be in the pit, you can get a pit wristband for Orange Stage several hours before the concert starts by queuing for it. This way, you can attend the concert and be sure to get the spot you desire!
If you or anyone around you needs assistance, you can always approach volunteers – recognize them by their colourful vests. They can help you – either themselves or by calling their leader.
If you experience something that you need to discuss with professionals, feel anxious, or just need someone to talk to, you can head to one of our Soft Spots in East City, West City, or near the area between Orange Scene and Avalon. Look for the icon with two speech bubbles and a heart on the festival map.
Here you'll find a safe space you can turn to if you experience anything distressing at the festival or need guidance.
If you need medication, there is a pharmacy on the festival site. All our kiosks have necessities, and there are free tampons and pads in the toilets.
At Roskilde Festival, you're rarely alone, even if you don't know many people who are attending. The festival has a unique atmosphere that makes it easy to strike up a conversation with others. So don't be afraid to say hello to people from neighbouring campsites or join in on others' camp activities.
For example, you can stop by the camping areas Clean Out Loud or Common Ground, where residents host a variety of social activities.
Alignment of expectations is key. Here are some suggestions for questions you can discuss when preparing for the festival:
How do we clean up?
How do we unpack?
When do people leave?
Are we all participating in packing up our camp?
What do we do if we can't find each other?
When do we turn off the music so we can sleep?
By having these things sorted out, you can avoid conflicts and uphold a positive atmosphere in the camp.
When packing for the festival, remember: less is more. The fewer things you bring, the less it burdens the environment. And when the festival is over, make sure to take everything home with you – including your camping gear. If you don't want to haul your tent and other camping equipment back home, you can rent it from us instead.
This year, most of the camps will be provided with four waste bags for glass, metal, plastic, food and beverage cartons, and general waste. It will be as easy as recycling at home. Find a good spot for the bags in the camp and remind each other to sort your waste.
You can't possibly do everything, and that's okay. Choose a few highlights you definitely want to catch, but keep yourself open to spontaneous adventures and discovering new acts. Join in on your friends' plans and go on adventures. After all, what makes Roskilde Festival truly special is often the unexpected moments.
You can see when your favourite artists are playing in the schedule and build your personal program in Roskilde Festival's official app.
With over 200 musical acts to choose from, it's natural to feel overwhelmed by the selection. To assist you in making decisions, we've curated a guide spotlighting some of the lesser-known talents that might not be headlining the posters, but are definitely worth your attention.
Canned tuna, rye bread, and corn. Juicy burgers, sushi, and gourmet dishes. You can find it all at Roskilde Festival. If you're a food enthusiast, the festival is the perfect place to go on a culinary adventure.
Whether you're looking for a classic festival treat like pork roast sandwich or prefer to try fried snails, there's something delicious to sink your teeth into.
If you're ready to explore even more, head to the 'Food Is Now' area. Here, we offer workshops, talks, performances, pop-up dinners, and sensory taste experiences, all focusing on the possibilities and unique flavour universe of the earth beneath our feet. So, get ready to get your hands dirty!
Yes, of course! You are welcome at Roskilde Festival whether you drink alcohol or not.
Our festival is all about creating fantastic experiences, and that doesn't necessarily involve alcohol. There are plenty of fun and exciting activities to participate in, concerts to enjoy, and people to meet, whether you drink alcohol or not.
Here are a few tips if you who want to drink less alcohol:
Replace alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic alternatives. At many of the stalls, you can buy alternatives to alcoholic drinks such as alcohol-free beer and mocktails.
Drink beverages with low alcohol content. This way, you can better sense your limits and stop before you reach your limit.
