By Rasmus Løwenstein, volunteer journalist at Roskilde Festival's Media House (Photos: Anders Birger and Inger Marie Helgasdatter)
When the festival is at its loudest, head in the opposite direction.
Throughout First Days, you can take a breather in GROW, our new kitchen garden just north of East City. Here you'll find everything from speed dating, creative workshops and performance art to slow mornings, plant dyeing, garden tastings and sensory walks among the vegetables.
Here are five reasons to wander in:
There's nothing quite like love at first carrot.
Join a speed dating session in the peaceful surroundings of the garden, where you'll tackle small gardening tasks together while getting to know someone new.
Who knows? You might leave with a new festival crush.
Plant Speed Dating: Monday at 16:00 (queer) and Tuesday at 16:00 (heteroromantic).
Sign up via the mailbox in GROW or send a message to @grow_langkaerhave on Instagram no later than 60 minutes before the event.
GROW
GROW is a collaboration between Roskilde Festival Group, Roskilde Municipality and ØsterGRO.
The garden is cared for throughout the year using regenerative and organic growing methods.
Early mornings can be golden – even at a festival.
Start your day among the plants by picking fresh herbs, brewing tea and listening to readings from UTOPIA, a book created by Roskilde Festival and publisher Økotopia, bringing together young people's hopes and visions for the future through stories and reflections.
You'll also get a sneak peek at what's happening in the garden later that day.
Wednesday at 10:00.
Fancy taking a little piece of GROW home?
Use natural plant dyes to colour your own piece of fabric, then weave it into a collaborative artwork that will remain in the garden long after the festival ends.
The workshop is led by Maja Lund from Copenhagen Plant Dye Studio, who has explored natural dyeing and textile craft since 2016.
Tuesday at 10:30 and 14:30.
What happens when farming becomes performance and lunch becomes art?
Artist Maiken Stæhr invites you to experience Harvest and Survive, where vegetables and herbs harvested directly from GROW become the centrepiece of a sensory performance exploring food, community and the way we grow and consume what we eat.
The harvest unfolds as a carefully choreographed ritual involving specially designed gardening tools, song and shared serving, before ending with a vinaigrette delicately misted over the salad.
Tuesday at 10:00.
Join a sensory walk through GROW and get closer to the plants growing all around you. Feel the soil, smell the herbs and sample seasonal produce while discovering everything thriving in the garden.
The walk is led by Nanna Hjortkjær Jespersen, who works with cultivation and community gardens in GROW and at ØsterGRO.
Wednesday at 11:00.
