With Michael Eavis letting the grass grow at Glastonbury this year, Scandinavia’s long-running equivalent was bound to be a huge draw for international music fans. Those seeking a people-friendly atmosphere and a musically-varied experience were always likely to flock to Roskilde, a festival structured along similar lines to its English counterpart.
Now in its 36th year, the Danish festival donates all profits to humanitarian causes. As a result, it’s earned an iconic status amongst Scandinavian youth. Expertly organised, in many ways it puts home-grown weekenders such as Oxegen to shame: if the 2006 organisers had a motto, then it was that the enjoyment of those who had purchased tickets was paramount.
The line-up was hugely impressive. Over four days, the 80,000 capacity attendance got to see all of Kanye West, Roger Waters, Bob Dylan, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Death Cab For Cutie, Guns N’ Roses, Scissor Sisters, Sigur Ros and The Raconteurs – among hundreds of others.
Dylan and and Guns N’ Roses both played the Orange Stage, the festival’s focal point, and both were underwhelming - the aging Dylan in particular looking as if he’s running out of gas as a live performer. In contrast, Roger Waters and Franz Ferdinand were the main stage’s major delights, turning in superb performances – though Roskilde’s real musical treats lay elsewhere.
Five incredibly impressive tents – in which the quality of the sound was breath-taking – hosted a phenomenally broad mix of mainly Danish, English and American talent.
In the wake of England’s World-Cup exit, Arctic Monkeys turned it on in stunning style, as 10,000 Scandinavians crammed the huge Arena stage. Sigur Ros wowed an impressively attentive audience with similar effect. Elsewhere Death Cab For Cutie’s emotive and anthemic pop amazed and The Raconteurs confirmed that their strengths are as a live act, rather than a recording outfit, with a great performance.
But while the music impressed, the festival’s organisation was the real eye-opener. As festivals become more ubiquitous, it’s their ethos and their ideas that will set them apart. Free festival programmes, well-mannered security and impressively structured camp-sites may seem like small things to get right, but when they are right, you feel the difference.
Ideas? Well, there’s a heavy emphasis on recycling at Roskilde. With refund fees of around 20 cent being dished out for each returned beer cup, the festival site became to a large extent self-cleaning. Cash-hungry folk regularly filled refuse bags throughout the weekend in return for upwards of €50. In addition, alcohol prices were set below the average pub price, and intelligent stage planning greatly enhanced the experience.
The music on offer was excellent, but in the end, Roskilde felt so good for one simple reason: this is a festival where one is made feel less like a commodity to be milked, and more a visitor to be treated with respect. Now isn’t that how a festival should be?