Where is the Roskilde Festival held each year?

The Roskilde Festival is held each year in Denmark, on fairgrounds south of the city of Roskilde.

Roskilde is on the Danish island of Zealand, west of Copenhagen. The festival’s location is close enough to the capital to attract large international crowds, while its extensive camping grounds create a temporary festival community around the concert area.

The event began on August 28–29, 1971, under the name Sound Festival. It was founded by high-school students Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller together with promoter Carl Fischer. From 1972 onward, the Roskilde Foundation took over its organization and has operated it as a nonprofit event.

Roskilde is often described as a rock festival, but its lineup spans hip-hop, pop, electronic music, metal, punk, reggae, folk, and experimental acts. A common mix-up is to identify Copenhagen as the venue because many visitors travel through it; the festival itself is in Roskilde.