Inside Roskilde Festival 2026: music, art and a movement

Roskilde Festival, the largest and longest-running festival in Denmark, has just opened the gates of its 54th edition. Here’s what you need to know about.

Taking place for an entire week from Saturday 27 June to Saturday 4 July 2026, Roskilde offers far more than your usual music festival. In addition to a star-studded lineup (this year sees Gorillaz, The Cure, Jennie, David Byrne and hundreds more take the stage), the festival prides itself on a diverse community-focused program encompassing art, activism and gastronomy.  

Roskilde Festival, Orange Stage. Image credit Kim Matthäi Leland

Roskilde is also, importantly, a non-profit event which has generated over £54 million for charities since its inception in 1971. The festival is an impressive operation, with approximately 27,000 volunteers helping stage an event that, temporarily, becomes the fourth-largest city by population in Denmark with over 130,000 attendees. The FLO Festival team will be on the ground and have curated their top picks from the packed programme: 

Roskilde Festival. Image credit Sofija Ninesa.

Music

Zara Larsson 

We can’t wait to see Swedish star Zara Larsson take the stage. Initially discovered through a talent show competition in 2008, her unique brand of summery Scandi pop makes her a perfect headliner for this festival. You’ll find us at the front signing along to topical bangers from her latest album: Eurosummer, Midnight Sun, Hot & Sexy… 

Bad Gyal

Catalan star Bad Gyal has gained a cult following since the release of her first mixtape in 2016. Her second album, Más Cara, came out earlier this year and demonstrated a deepening of her signature sounds, writing prowess and platforming of smaller artists. With her infectious combination of reggaeton, dancehall and pop, she is guaranteed to deliver one of the standout sets of the festival. 

Lily Allen

Last but absolutely not least, we’re thrilled to see fellow Brit Lily Allen close the main stage on the final night of the festival. Allen has spun gold out of personal tragedy, dropping one of the most talked-about albums of the past year, West End Girl, and this will be an unmissable set. For those who haven’t managed to secure a ticket to her sold-out tours, this is a special treat. 

Roskilde Festival, Dream City. Image credit Christian Solgaard

Art & Activism

Artistic programming is central to the Roskilde ethos and experience, from installations to performances and workshops. These will be vital opportunities to come together, participate in community action, and reflect. As Director of Art Signe Brink Wehl explains, the intention is that the programme “engages festival participants with some of the most pressing matters of our time.” The full lineup of activations can be explored here and highlights include: 

Ndaku Ya La Vie Est Belle: From Trash to Art

Join the Congolese scrap art collective, based in Kinshasa and visiting Europe for the first time, in a series of workshops transforming waste materials into wearable sculptures. 

Monday 29 June 12:30, The Yard

Tuesday 30 June 12:30, The Yard

Jesse Darling: The Long Way Around

A favourite last year, and returning for the 2026 edition, is Turner-prize-winning artist Jesse Darling’s monumental circular installation. Darling’s work, which consists of a long, spiralling ramp, functions as a viewing platform, meeting point, and shelter, while also challenging social constructs of accessibility.

The Long Way Around by Jesse Darling. Image credit Christoffer Anias Sandager.

Dorotea Saykaly & Emil Dam Seidel: Enter the Flesh

In their new performance piece, Enter the Flesh, award winning dancer and director duo Saykaly and Seidel ask: where does the boundary of what we call human begin and end? Described as a “choreographic sci-fi experiment”, we’re excited to experience what is bound to be a multi-sensory delight. 

Wednesday 1 July 17:00, Platform

Thursday 2 July 17:15, Platform 

If this dynamic range of music, art and activism doesn’t have you totally satisfied, fear not. Roskilde has plenty more on offer, from yoga and dance classes to speed-dating, pizza-making, and some truly niche competitive activities… My favourite? Lagkage Deathrace, “a discipline where skateboarding, speed and layer cake building come together.” 

Aerial photo of Roskilde Festival. Image credit Stig Hougesen

Festival Factfile

Size: 130,000+ people

Length: 8 days (core programming Wednesday-Saturday)

Location: Dyrskuepladsen, Roskilde, Denmark

Ticket price: Full festival ticket £300; day tickets from £165

USP: Global music with community-driven atmosphere and humanitarian purpose. Often tipped as “the Glastonbury of Denmark”.

Recommended for: Lovers of festival culture seeking a Scandinavian summer adventure.

Website: roskilde-festival.dk. Instagram: @roskildefestival

Words by Sofia Carreira-Wham