Festivals are getting more and more expensive these days; this summer some of you might have to choose between going on holiday for a week or going to a festival for a few days if money’s tight...
but don’t despair, Roskilde is here! Combine a trip abroad with a fantastic world-famous music festival this summer and you won’t be disappointed and as Roskilde is a non-profit festival, your hard earned cash is going to a good cause whilst you camp in the glorious Danish countryside.
Previous line-ups at Roskilde
Roskilde Festival is one of Europe’s five big festivals (the others are Glastonbury, Sziget Festival, the Paléo Festival and Rock Werchter) but it has the added attraction of being environmentally friendly and run by a non-profit organisation; all profits are donated to humanitarian and cultural purposes in Denmark so you can feel charitable as well as giddy as you dance the night away to your favourite bands. It’s held in Roskilde just 35km from Copenhagen in an animal showground nicknamed ‘The Festival Site’ and in 2011 it will be held from 30th June to 3rd July. It usually lasts for four days although the campsite opens the weekend before so festival-goers can settle in and warm up for a week of amazing bands and exciting shows.
The music is a good mix of world famous artists, quirky artists from all genres and up and coming or unsigned talent, as well as some Scandinavian headliners. Previous acts include Muse, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Placebo, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, Morrissey, Lily Allen, Oasis, Slipknot, Cold Play, Kings of Leon, Gorillaz, Prince, and The Prodigy so there’s something for everyone and the names just keep getting bigger. All artists play a concert-length performance unlike most festivals where they usually play four or five songs and are rushed off so the next band can set up.
Getting to Roskilde Festival
You can buy tickets for Roskilde Festival 2011 from 1st December 2010 from its website. Flights to Copenhagen are available from Manchester, London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen and with jet2.com you could grab a real bargain. Trains from Copenhagen to the festival’s own train station run regularly and there are shuttle buses from Roskilde bus station. The weather can vary from lovely sunshine to cloudy rainy days (a bit like England really) so remember to pack your festival willies and your sunglasses just in case.