Denmark: Roskilde Festival Anniversary, Tinderbox & Northside Canceled

Roskilde Festival
SH Luftfoto / Stiig Hougesen
– Roskilde Festival
Denmark has banned large gatherings until August 31

Roskilde Festival in Denmark has announced the cancellation of its 50th edition, after the Danish government decided to ban large-scale gatherings until Aug. 31. The political decision also affects the country’s other events, including Tinderbox and Northside.
In the hopes that governments might announce a loosening of restrictions on public gatherings, Europe’s festivals are generally waiting for as long as possible before announcing cancellations. 
In Denmark, at least, promoters have been waiting in vain, as the government just announced the prolongation of its ban on large gatherings, sealing the fate of the 2020 edition of one of the continent’s biggest events, Roskilde Festival.
Roskilde Festival was one of the initiators of a joint statement signed by 60-plus festivals, vowing to do everything to pull the summer season through.
Roskilde Festivals CEO, Signe Lopdrup, said: “We are devastated. Though we feared this would happen, we have until now hoped that it wouldn’t end this way. However, the risk of getting infected with the COVID-19 virus is too large when many people are gathered, and that consideration is by far the most important.
“Our ambitions have been sky high. We have all worked hard and made an extraordinary effort to make Roskilde Festival truly special. Even under quite extraordinary conditions during the last weeks. The preparations looked really promising, and now they will be a great foundation for next year’s edition of the festival.”
Tickets remain valid, but can be refunded according to terms to be published by Roskilde’s promoters.
Roskilde is a non-profit event that donates all profits to charity each year. It therefore starts with zero funds each year, which places it in a precarious position: “It is still too soon for us to say anything specific about the economic consequences. They depend on the conditions that the Danish government has put forward to help us and others and which we will now look into. 
“There is no doubt that we are facing an extremely serious situation, but the consequences go far beyond us. Artists, the volunteer societies, cultural partners, businesses, and organizations that are running the different stalls, servicing the festival guests, securing production and supplies, or are contributing to the festival program; they will all be severely affected. Many of them are already suffering by the current situation.”
The cancellation of Glastonbury in the UK, which would have also celebrated its 50th birthday, has already raised uncertainties among Europe’s promoters about the festival season 2020. 
The cancellation of an event that enjoys similar status in mainland Europe will likely have a ripple effect on the continents summer open air events.
Roskilde 2020 was scheduled to take place June 26-July 4 in Roskilde, Denmark. The lineup would have included Chance The Rapper, The Cure, Bob Dylan, Cardi B, Robyn, Christine and the Queens,  Janelle Monáe, Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Vampire Weekend, Rosalía, HAIM, Kendrick Lamar, The Strokes, Charli XCX, The Roots, DaBaby, Jimmy Eat World, City and Colour, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Africa Express, Bicep and many more.
Tinderbox 2019
Morten Rygaard
– Tinderbox 2019
The festival celebrated a new audience record with 45,000 on site

The latest government ordinance also affects two other big Danish festival, Tinderbox and Northside, both promoted by Down The Drain Group, which got invested in by Superstruct last year.
Brian Nielsen, festival director of both Northside and Tinderbox, said he was hopeful that next year’s editions would be extra great, seeing that his team now had two years to compile ideas and initiatives.