The festival circuit
🎉 CPH Distortion (Jun 3–7) — Free neighbourhood street parties across Copenhagen's districts. The whole city is the venue; no wristband needed. Best for spontaneous wanderers.
🎵 Roskilde Festival (Jun 27–Jul 4) — 130,000 people, eight stages, 200+ acts, camping on site. Non-profit since 1972. One of Europe's two or three greatest festivals. Tickets from DKK 2,500 including camping — buy in January before early-bird tiers sell out.
🎷 Copenhagen Jazz Festival (Jul 3–12) — 1,000+ concerts across 100+ venues, many free. Overlaps with Roskilde Jul 3–4: catch a Roskilde set by day and a Jazzhus Montmartre late session by night.
Getting to Roskilde: 35 minutes by DSB
DSB regional trains run from Copenhagen Central to Roskilde station every 20 minutes. Journey time: 34 minutes. Trains run through the night during the festival.
A day return costs DKK 130 (≈ €17) and is included in the Copenhagen Card. The festival site is a 20-minute walk from Roskilde station, or take the shuttle bus.
Into Copenhagen: Copenhagen Airport (CPH) connects to the city centre by Metro in 15 minutes. Direct trains from Hamburg (5h) and Stockholm (5h15) cover the overland approach.
Roskilde town — worth a full day
Beyond the festival, Roskilde town earns a full day. The Viking Ship Museum houses five original Viking ships excavated from the fjord — one of Scandinavia's best museums. The Roskilde Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage Site) has been the burial place of Danish kings for 1,000 years — 40 monarchs interred here. Trains from Copenhagen run every 20 minutes.
Aarhus (3h by DSB Intercity) — Denmark's second city is a genuinely great 2-night addition. Add it after Roskilde ends Jul 4 for a full 14-day Denmark circuit.
Copenhagen as your base
Copenhagen is compact, flat, and best explored by bike. The key stops between festival days:
- Nyhavn — the colourful canal. Best in the evening when tourists thin.
- Torvehallerne — Copenhagen's covered food market; best smørrebrød in the city.
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (45 min by S-Tog) — sculpture gardens over the Øresund, world-class collection.
- Freetown Christiania — worth an afternoon regardless of expectations.
Summer daylight: Sunset at 10:15pm in late June. Concerts finish late, the city stays light until midnight.
Copenhagen Card (from DKK 449/24h): covers all public transport including Roskilde trains and entry to 90+ museums.
Plan your Denmark festival trip
EuroTrekker builds the 14-day circuit — Copenhagen, Roskilde Festival, Copenhagen Jazz, and Aarhus — with real DSB connections and festival dates locked in.