In recent years, art and activism have become an increasingly central part of the programme at Roskilde Festival – the independent, non-profit Danish festival that will run for the 53rd time this summer. This year, topics such as overconsumption, diversity, accessibility for minorities, and the potential of celebration as a form of protest are among the themes festival participants will encounter in the Art & Activism programme.

“We’ve made a dedicated effort to create an Art & Activism programme that engages festival participants with some of the most pressing matters of our time — and does so in a variety of ways. The programme embraces a wide range of formats and expressions, showcasing both prominent Danish and international names. Whether you’re already deeply involved in these themes or simply curious — and whether you’re seeking something thought-provoking, moving, or entertaining — there’s every reason to explore the Art & Activism programme,” says Signe Brink Wehl, Roskilde Festival’s Director of Art.

Giant art installation at camp site
A striking sight awaits festival participants and others who pass by the hills at Roskilde Festival’s camp site throughout the year. A new artwork, The Long Way Around, resembles a giant wheelchair ramp spiraling around the hill all the way to the top.

Created by the award-winning British artist Jesse Darling, the artwork makes the climb more accessible for wheelchair users, while offering others “a long way around” — an alternative, slow, and sensory path to the top. The Long Way Around is expected to remain in place for five years.

Art in a world not always designed for everyone
Other artworks and events also highlight the strengths that emerge when navigating a world not always designed for everyone. This is a central theme in the art installation our voises carry futur dreams, that explores life with dyslexia. The artwork is created by Danish artist Julie Nymann, who also features with the sound installation Advantages of Being Dyslexic.

This theme is also explored by the Georgian queer collective Eau de Cologne. In their talk When Rave Becomes Political, they discuss life as LGBTQ+ individuals in a society marked by growing authoritarian tendencies. On top of that, they unleash the activist potential of partying through a live performance infused with ‘90s rave energy.

50 tons of secondhand clothes and a textile zombie
Fifty tons of secondhand clothes are piled high at the festival site in the art installation Return to Sender. Created by the Kenyan artist collective The Nest Collective, the artwork confronts festival participants with the grotesque waste landscapes that are all too common in low-income countries, highlighting the urgent need to rethink our consumption habits.

The same message is carried by British artist Jeremy Hutchinson, who haunts the festival as a textile zombie covered in dumped secondhand clothing in the performance Dead White Man.

Plenty of performance at Platform
At Platform, Roskilde Festival’s stage for experimental hybrid formats, performance art is in focus.

“Performance art is evolving rapidly these years, and at Platform we’ve gathered a number of artistic frontrunners. One of the trends we’re seeing right now is that more artists are blending different forms of expression such as dance, music, theatre, and visual art. Our stage is designed for these hybrid formats and gives artists the opportunity to experiment with new forms that also engage the festival participants in the intimate space that Platform provides,” says Signe Brink Wehl.

One of the names festival participants can experience on Platform this year is the critically acclaimed Turkish artist Göksu Kunak, who presents the intense and visually striking performance Hungry 2.0. In a raw, industrial stage setting, Kunak blends video, pole dance, and bodybuilding to explore how the body can be transformed — and be both captivating and unsettling.

Festival participants can also experience the dance performance WIRED by Danish choreographer Marie Kaae, massive laser projections by British artist Matt Copson, the circus performance MANIFEST, created especially for Roskilde Festival, drag karaoke, and much more.