Photo: Juliane Schmeltzer Dybkjær

Slam poetry about the dangers of skin cancer from sun burn, arranged by an NGO

On the other hand, the atmosphere in this city is extraordinary. Police reports show that crime is exceptionally low at this event even though a lot of alcohol is consumed during the festival, and when you walk around the camping area during the warm up days (which generally last until Thursday, when the music starts), you really feel the love between the camps.

People are enjoying the weather (we are very fortunate this year - beautiful sunshine), each other's company, and you can hear music from literally thousands of different camps all around the area. As I was walking through the camping area today, one guy came up to me, said "Hey, you look nice!", gave me a hug and ran off to catch up with his friends. Scandinavians sometimes have a reputation of being reserved - well, if Roskilde Festival is your first visit to Denmark, you would never be able to tell.

During the warm-up days, the camping area is buzzing with activity. That's right - Roskilde Festival is not only about the music; far from it. The skate scene offers shows with some of the best skaters in the world, NGO's are hosting events to raise awareness and interactive exhibitions let you explore your creative side. And that's not all - many people who attend the festival as regular festival goers arrange their own events, which is, for the largest part, warmly welcomed by the festival management. You will hear much more about some of these cool initiatives in later blog posts.

Photo: Juliane Schmeltzer Dybkjær

Skateboard park

Whether you feel like raving during huge nightly events, being cultural and expanding your horizon, drinking cocktails or just enjoying a relaxing day of fun with your camp buddies, you cannot escape the feeling of being in the happiest, if perhaps the most basic city in Europe.

Happy festival everyone! 

Juliane Schmeltzer Dybkjær is an accredited reporter for E&M at Roskilde Festival 2011.