As you approach the entrance of Roskilde Festival, a huge orange sign catches your eye. The vivid, neon lettering proclaims, “WE WELCOME THE BEST CROWD IN THE WORLD.” It’s a bold statement – yet, as you’re guided into the festival by an ever-increasing string of volunteers in their matching orange hi-vis, you start to realise it might be true.
While the Scandi festival has certainly hosted a magnificent selection of acts over the years, from Metallica to Bob Dylan to Slipknot, the music alone isn’t what keeps people coming back year after year. Music is just the tip of the iceberg – once you’re immersed in the festival’s world of upcycled art instillations, climate-conscious food offerings and team of 30,000 passionate volunteers, it’s tough not to succumb to Roskilde’s utopian, hippy charms.
The festival’s non-profit humanitarian core of Roskilde is what transforms casual attendees into devoted supporters. At every turn, there’s a sustainable pop-up workshop or compostable furniture made from mushrooms. And the attendees are at the heart of it, even down to the totally unique camping experience.
Roskilde campsites offer an entirely new playground for partying. Many have compared Roskilde to Glasto for its human-driven ‘Dream City’, an area totally constructed and run by the campers. With its own schedule of events and acts, it’s a totally unique experience separate from the conventional line-up. Everywhere you stumble, you’re welcomed into any camp with open arms. From multi-storey ‘police stations’ with slides to glowing DJ booths kitted out with thumping, ground-rumbling speakers, it’s its own mini world – and it’s one you truly never want to leave.
Of course, the music certainly helps lure curious punters in. Roskilde’s offering is reliably diverse, pushing to the furthest corners of the globe with over 180 acts from 43 countries. The sonic range is staggering, too, from the ethereal glow and pixie-like grace of Nordic art-pop darling Aurora to the bouncy electronic joy of Scotland’s Barry Can’t Swim, all the way to gritty metalcore snarl of acts like Sheffield’s While She Sleeps, Roskilde has it all.
Some of this year’s finest offerings come from the UK. Last minute Kali Uchis replacement Charli XCX absolutely steals the show, her confident, glitching display of hyperpop and dancefloor bangers transforming the Arena tent into a pulsing nightclub. At one point, the singer takes a moment to chat to the crowd: “I left my passport at home,” her heavily autotuned voice announces, “so I only got here 20 minutes ago.” It’s a moment of hysteria for fans, yet she plays it off cool as a cucumber, unbothered and blasé as she ploughs on. Every second, Charli is an absolute superstar, aware that the people just want to hear some club classics. As guest artist Caroline Polacheck affirms when she swaggers onstage for ‘Welcome To My Island’: it’s shaping up to be a positively Brat Summer after all.
PinkPantheress’ late slot on Thursday is also a high point for the UK’s alt offerings. Her bedroom pop is a total treat, while her adorably giddy stage presence totally charms the masses. The Last Dinner Party also serve up a commendable set of baroque indie rock on Thursday, while the legendary PJ Harvey stuns on Saturday with her unique brand of bittersweet alt-rock, flowing between weightless, glittering folk to jagged punk-tinged riffs.
READ MORE: ★★★★☆ Heaven Knows review | PinkPantheress delivers a small triumph of a debut
Leeds outfit English Teacher also unleashed a glorious whirl of art punk vulnerability on Saturday, vocalist Lily Fontaine delivering earnest performances of tracks like ‘Broken Biscuits’ and ‘This Could Be Texas’ with a flourish.
Yet still, more sounds are ripe for discovery. Wander into the pulsing lights of the Apollo stage, and you’ll find the airy, psychedelic mystique of experimental popstar Eartheater. Or perhaps you’ll stumble upon Humazapas, the Ecuadorian group enacting ritualistic dances in a twirl of flowers, masks and harps. Or maybe Suturi, the Polish trio performing haunting feminist lullabies with violins and tambourines.
However, this year served up some particularly vital cultural bookings. Kakuma Sound, in particular, got to perform on all three days, the refugee collective delivering a slew of invigorating, crowd-rousing tunes. The group aim to transform tragedy into something enriching, aiming to celebrate and reconnect with the culture they have had to leave behind. “We carry our culture with us,” a member asserts at one point. “Refugees are not just victims – through our music, we aim to bring back culture to refugees, to the children who have never been to their parent’s country of origin.”
“This music is our heart, our spirit,” he continues. “We aren’t here to perform, we’re here to share our spirit with you.” And they certainly do, grabbing people from the crowd to dance, sway and clap along to their warm, sunshine-drenched sound.
Elsewhere, Roskilde is at the forefront of celebrating Nature being recognised as an official artist. That’s right – the trees are just as much of an artist as David Bowie. Each day, an artist would talk about the influence of Nature on their sound, experimenting with natural ecosystem recordings. At one point, Allen Anjeh and Louis V perform an off-the-cuff freestyle over a simple clip of birdsong, transforming it into an alt-R&B groove, as Louis exclaims, “The bird’s got rhythm, init?”
While UK festivals aimed at the youngsters are notorious for burning down tents and getting shitfaced, the Roskilde experience is a breath of fresh air. The focus on charity, eating green and living sustainably makes every moment feel so much more wholesome and fulfilling. Don’t get it twisted – the Roskilde are a wild bunch that party around the clock – but the sense of community is evident. The festival constantly talks of the “orange feeling” it aims to create, and we can attest that there is certainly a golden glimmer of positivity in that Roskilde air.
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