Guide to Denmark's summer festivals 2012

Long days at the library and nightmares about failing exams. This time of year is a living hell for most students. The light at the end of the tunnel seems far away but it’s there alright. As exams and summer are closing in on us, so are the many great festivals in DK. Here’s a list of the best. You can even win tickets for one of the festivals, NorthSide just by entering into our 'Show us your room' photo competition.

The guide is in chronological order so you can just print it out and stick it on your fridge door.

25-27 May: Copenhagen Carnival

Students prepare for year's biggest event

Roskilde: You probably heard of it before you came to Denmark. And if you did, you probably knew that it was the name of a music festival before knowing it is of one of Denmark’s oldest cities.

This week many students (as well as many others) are preparing their costumes for themed camps, training their livers and buying their tents. It's Roskilde season!

The Festival runs from 26 June to 3 July, but the party really gets going on 30 June.

Festival city

If it is your first time at the festival, don’t worry, because the organizers have you covered.

Sankt Hans brings out old viking traditions

The weather has been warm for a while, but the real Danish summer begins on St. Hans Eve.

St. Hans Eve has been celebrated ever since the time of the Vikings. At that time, people were travelling around to visiting healing water wells and built large bonfires to ward away evil spirits.

Although an unofficial holiday since 1770, St. Hans is the ultimate summer celebration in Denmark.

Herbs and witches

Prepare yourself for 5 days of street parties

You may have already heard the word, but if you haven’t: Prepare yourself for a good time. 'Distortion' is a place »where the polite and friendly Danes turn into Tasmanian devils,« according to LoDown magazine.

Ok, that sounds interesting! But what is it actually?

Distortion is an annual Copenhagen music festival that celebrates music and street life. Each day from 1 June to 5 June you can hear music, dance and check out different quarters of town from 17:00 to 22:00 (or 23:00, depending on the area). And the best thing is, that it is free!

Drunken holiday spooks Copenhagen

This Sunday marks the famed American holiday, Halloween. On this day, and throughout the weekend, Americans will be spreading the spooky joy of their famed festivities. Though the holiday is an innocent request for sweets from costumed youngsters, college students view Halloween in a different light.

Join the Danish witch craze

You know it is summer in Denmark when it is time for St. Hans Eve.

Every year since the time of the Vikings, St. Hans Eve has been celebrated. The main events at that time were visiting healing water wells and making a large bonfire to ward away evil spirits. Nowadays, there are no healing water wells left to visit.

Although not an official holiday since 1770, St. Hans is the ultimate summer celebration.

Herbs and witches

Photo Competition: Show us your room

Do you sleep on a huge bed – or a little sofa? Do you have loads of books or a wall of CDs? Do posters or photos decorate your walls?

We are curious! The picture can be of anything, as long as it's your room. Give the picture a name and a caption (a one sentence description of what the photo is) and send it to us for a chance to win NorthSide festival tickets. To ensure authenticity, the photo must, somehow, include the words 'University Post'.

The experts: How to make your own job

The financial crisis has apparently set off a wave of entrepreneurship. In Denmark, the numbers of student-started companies has gone up, not down, since Europe’s paralysing recession ground the normal amount of jobs for graduates to a halt. Here is how you can be a part of the movement. Create a job of your own, and stop being dependent on a disappointing job market.

Top 10: Spring tips for guys

After the University Post's Top 10 Spring tips for girls we promised our male readers a 'guys-only' follow-up. These top 10 suggestions will get you heated up and excited about this season in Copenhagen. So get ready to venture outside, smell the fresh air, train your muscles and swig it all down with a glass of cold beer with your mates.

10. Watch the Copenhagen marathon

This Sunday: Piano virtuoso to play John Cage

Art can often be many things, for different people; Confusing, inspiring, educational, and this Sunday 20 May, the Host Guest Ghost project hopes it will be a meditative experience, a ‘different’ way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The upcoming event is a continuation of the series which the University Post covered earlier this year, (Read the article: Hot soup, art = nice, cosy, winter day) and thus far, the project has spanned five different artistic expressions and host, guest, ghost combinations.