Music Festivals in Copenhagen in 2022

As the capital city of the country, Copenhagen is home to some of the biggest and best Denmark music festivals there are. The city is home to many events that take place in the summer and around the year, featuring a mix of international favorite artists and lesser-known talents that are nevertheless capable of lighting up the stage.

A music festival is a great excuse to visit this jewel of northern Europe. But really, you don't need an excuse to visit Copenhagen. This is a place where ancient tradition and fascinating history meet cutting-edge modernity. It's no wonder that the Danish capital is routinely recognized as one of the best places in the world to live, and it also makes a fantastic place to visit.

If you plan to attend an event in Copenhagen, don't forget to store your luggage safely with Bounce. By partnering with local businesses in Copenhagen and around the world, Bounce makes sure you always have a convenient and affordable place to leave your bags. That way, you can focus on getting around Copenhagen and enjoying some of these intriguing music festivals.

The Best Music Festivals in Copenhagen in 2022

NorthSide Festival

Okay, so Aarhus, the location of this year's NorthSide Festival, is a solid three-hour drive from Copenhagen, or two hours and 45 minutes on the train. But if you're a major live music fan looking for something to do from June 2 to June 4 near Copenhagen, Denmark, it's well worth making the journey to enjoy the stellar lineup of this year's NorthSide event.

The 2022 lineup includes Lewis Capaldi, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, girl in red, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Pete Tong. If you're trying to pick a common theme from that roster of artists, good luck. This multi-genre festival is all about good music, no matter what category it may or may not fit into. This festival also takes its commitment to the environment seriously and is built on a principle of 100% sustainability, which is good to know while you let loose and enjoy some of the best music around.

NS Rooms hotel packages are offered, but they tend to sell out fast. Otherwise, you'll have to find a place to stay in Aarhus or else face a long ride out from Copenhagen. Still, it's worth it to enjoy not only spectacular music but also great food and drink and a fun and welcoming atmosphere at this memorable festival. A ticket for the entire festival will cost you a pricey 2295 Danish krone, around US$320 at the time of writing, but you can keep costs down by buying single-day tickets for 1195 instead.

Distortion Festival

Taking place this year from June 1 to 5, Copenhagen's Distortion Festival is the perfect introduction to the summer festival season. This festival of street life and new dance music takes over huge portions of the capital city and turns them into gigantic outdoor dance floors.

The lineup for this large-scale festival is so packed full of artists both from Denmark and around the world that it's hard to know where to start listing them. However, it might be helpful to know that the large-scale street concerts are divided by musical genre. At Langebro, you'll find house and EDM artists like Acraze, Shouse, and Kato, while the party that takes place at Radhus-Pladsen features hip-hop by Pa Salieu, Icekiid, and more. There's also the Distortion Club, which offers a more intimate setting to discover new favorite artists and enjoy the classic club atmosphere.

This is a brilliant festival to just show up and see what they have to offer since the variety is one of the best things about it. Well, that, and the memorable uninhibited street party atmosphere. You can just drift from stage to stage as you wander the streets of the city and enjoy Copenhagen at its most alive during this popular festival.

A festival pass for all events will cost you 850 Danish krone, which at the time of writing is a shade under $120 US. Given all the events you'll get to enjoy over five days, that's a pretty good deal. Alternatively, you can save some money by buying concert tickets for individual days of the festival if you're not going to be able to devote most of the week to partying in Denmark.

Copenhell Festival

Welcome to hell - the Copenhagen version of it, anyway. Though if you're a fan of metal and other extreme music, this festival will feel more like heaven. Beginning on June 15 and running until June 18, this multistage open-air festival has been going since 2010 and has only gotten more popular over the years. Now, it's one of the top festivals in Europe for metal in all its variety.

With four stages in operation, the music here will be absolutely nonstop. This year's lineup features legends like Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Mastodon, Opeth, and Emperor, among other bands, running the gamut from black metal to death metal to heavy metal and everything in between. It promises to be four straight days of moshpits and music straight from the bowels of hell.

Interestingly, this festival also features Copenhell Con, a celebration of geek culture embracing movies, comics, TV, and other forms of pop culture. Camping is available at the Harborside site that's only a 10-minute bike ride from central Copenhagen, so pack your face paint and get ready for a trip to hell you're guaranteed to enjoy.

Copenhagen Jazz Festival

Scheduled to begin this year on June 24 and last until July 10, Copenhagen Jazz Festival brings some of the biggest names in jazz to Denmark. Headlined this year by Gilberto Gil and the legendary Herbie Hancock, this year's festival brings together other big names that may surprise you such as Elvis Costello, Jeff Beck, and Olafur Arnalds. This diverse approach to programming means there's much more on offer here than just jazz, as the festival aims to celebrate influences and cross-pollination from the worlds of folk, classical music, and rock 'n' roll.

That means you don't have to be a huge jazz fan to get something out of this festival. But if you are, this is an unmissable event and one of the best of its kind in northern Europe.

The festival takes place in multiple venues across the city, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on the website to make sure you make it to your event. The venues include the Royal Theater and Copenhagen Opera House, so the setting for these concerts is almost as impressive as the musical talent on display. Plus, the festival organizers aim to make jazz more accessible to everyone, so there's even a fun Jazz for Kids event that will teach little ones the joys of improvisation and creative play.

Even better, many of the concerts that make up the festival are free to attend. Others require the purchase of tickets in advance, while some only allow tickets to be purchased at the door. It's a good idea to get to the venue early for the more popular concerts if you can't get a ticket in advance since they are bound to go quickly.

Tinderbox

Held in Odense, a town around an hour's train ride from Copenhagen, the Tinderbox Festival 2022 hosts an impressive lineup of world-famous artists. Imagine Dragons, Stormzy, Muse, and Zara Larsson are just some of the big names scheduled to appear at this incredible festival. A ticket for the entire festival period, 23rd to 25th of June, will set you back a hefty 2345 Danish krone. Big names like this don't come cheap, and it's worth it to enjoy the eclectic lineup at one of the biggest festivals in all of Denmark.

Roskilde Festival

This is big. One of the biggest and best music festivals in all of Europe, the Roskilde Festival has been going strong since 1971 and shows no signs of slowing down despite its venerable age. The city of Roskilde is only around a half-hour drive from Copenhagen, so if you're a fan of live music, you absolutely can't miss this one.

Taking place over eight days, June 25 to July 2, the Roskilde festival attracts more than 100,000 partygoers who come to enjoy internationally renowned musicians and other artists on several huge stages. And the Roskilde Festival is about more than just music. It's a celebration of art, activism, and sustainability, and is 100% nonprofit.

This year's lineup reads like a Who's Who of the biggest names in music right now. Post Malone, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, and Tyler, The Creator are just some of the huge names that will be in attendance. With so much music taking place over the eight days of the festival, it's almost impossible not to find something you like. Plus, with fascinating talks by leading activists, artistic workshops, and incredible food and drink, you'll be almost overwhelmed by all there is to do at this absorbing festival.

Of course, all this comes at a price. There's a waiting list for tickets, and a full festival ticket will set you back 2250 Danish krone, which is over US$300. However, that includes camping for all eight days of the festival, and with the lineup like the Roskilde Festival has, it's actually a pretty good deal — provided you can get a ticket.

Karrusel

Running from August 25th to 27th, Copenhagen's Karrusel Festival brings house, techno, and EDM music to a leafy green park in the center of Copenhagen. This strictly 18+ event brings together ravers from around the world, attracting top-name DJs to play in the capital. This year's lineup includes DJ Seinfeld, Amelie Lens, and Darwin, with many more artists to be announced.

Because of its central location, it's easy to reach this festival by public transport, and you can stay in comfort in central Copenhagen if you need a place to crash. However, sleep will be the last thing on your mind as you dance the night away to some of the best DJs in the business. Tickets cost 680 Danish krone for a three-day pass or 360 krone for an individual day ticket.

Planning to stay some more days in Copenhagen?

With so many amazing music festivals taking place in and around Copenhagen, you may not have the energy to do anything else. But that would be a real shame, as the city has so much to offer no matter what time of year you visit. If you're pressed for time, check out our guide on how to spend 3 days in Copenhagen for some inspiration.

For instance, you can enjoy the amazing Royal palaces of Amalienborg, Kronborg, and Rosenborg, where you'll learn more about the history of the Danish royal family and the country they represent. You can also learn more about Danish history at the National Museum of Denmark, one of the best museums in Copenhagen. Alternatively, you can enjoy the traditional charm of one of the world's oldest theme parks in the Tivoli Gardens before enjoying the colorful buildings and beautiful canal-side setting of Nyhavn and getting an iconic photo of the Little Mermaid statue. Or, you could take your taste buds for a treat at Reffen, a rehabilitated industrial site that now boasts multiple vendors offering the best street food in town.

However you like to spend your time between festivals, you'll find something you're bound to love in the city. So drop off your bags at a Copenhagen luggage locker and get ready to enjoy some of the best music, best food, and most incredible culture you'll find anywhere in Europe.