25 years after the tragedy at Roskilde Festival
On 30 June 2025, it will be 25 years since nine young men lost their lives during a concert at the Orange Stage. On this page you can find answers to questions about how the tragedy has shaped Roskilde Festival and the festival’s approach to safety.
The tragedy in 2000 changed Roskilde Festival forever. It created a deep commitment to making concert safety a priority within the festival industry. That responsibility continues unwaveringly to this day.
What impact has the tragedy had on Roskilde Festival?
The tragedy in 2000 is a part of Roskilde Festival’s history and identity. Nine young men from five different countries – Allan, Anthony, Carl-Johan, Frank, Frederik, Henrik, Jakob, Lennart, and Marco – lost their lives during a concert, and it remains one of the darkest moments in the festival’s history.
The tragedy changed everything–not only our approach to safety, but also the way we think about responsibility, care, and community.
Since then, we have worked purposefully to create the safest possible environment for our participants. We have helped develop new standards and methods in concert safety, crowd management, and prevention. That work never stops, and it is deeply rooted throughout the organization – from leadership to volunteers.
At the same time, we have actively contributed to improving safety across the entire industry. We took the initiative to establish networks and knowledge-sharing among festivals and experts in both Denmark and Europe – a collaboration we remain deeply engaged in to this day.
25 years since the tragedy – how will it be commemorated?
The commemoration will include a screening of the film Nine Rocks on Monday, June 30 at 11:00 AM on the Gaia stage. The film will be introduced by directors Tor Nygård Kolding and Rikke Selin, and a representative from Roskilde Festival will give a speech in remembrance of the tragedy.
Read about the commemoration here.
On July 3, we will host an event for Danish and international professionals involved in safety at large-scale events. The program includes presentations, discussions, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the festival.
Many of the festival’s younger participants have no direct or personal knowledge of the tragedy. Therefore, it is important for us to commemorate the 25th anniversary with respect and reflection — not to dwell on the grief, but to preserve an important lesson and to remind each other of how fragile our community can be.
How else can festival participants commemorate the accident?
West of the Orange Stage lies the Memorial Grove, a quiet place with a memorial stone and nine birch trees, symbolizing the lives lost in 2000. The inscription on the stone, ‘How Fragile We Are,’ serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of caring for one another.
What specific changes were implemented as a result of the accident?
The accident led to a thorough rethinking of safety at Roskilde Festival — physically, organizationally, and culturally. Already the following year, a number of concrete measures were introduced, which have since been further developed and standardized.
The Orange Stage was replaced with a larger and taller structure, providing the participants with a better view of the stage from a distance, thereby reducing crowding in front of the stage. At the same time, the large screens were used as safety screens to offer the participants a secure and informed concert experience — even from afar.
A key initiative was the establishment of a zoned pit system in front of the largest stages, Orange Stage and Arena. The audience was divided into smaller sections separated by barriers, allowing pressure within the crowd to be controlled and reduced.
More and improved escape routes were also established, and the entire area around the Orange Stage was redesigned with a focus on crowd flow and safety.
Additionally, systematic crowd monitoring was introduced during concerts. Trained observers and crowd safety staff now constantly monitor movement patterns and the atmosphere in crowded areas and can intervene before a situation becomes critical.
Since the accident, Roskilde Festival has worked closely with authorities, experts, and international networks to develop and share knowledge. Today, the festival’s safety efforts are rooted in risk assessment, prevention, and clear communication — influencing everything from stage planning to behavioral awareness campaigns.
How did the police and authorities respond to the accident?
Roskilde Police and later the State Prosecutor of Zealand found that there were no grounds to press charges against anyone. Neither individuals nor organizations were deemed criminally accountable.
In December 2000, a government-appointed working group, known as the Festival Committee, published a report based on the police’s preliminary account. The committee’s task was, among other things, to review national and international regulations and standards for safety at large music festivals and to make recommendations for improvements.
One of the committee’s recommendations was to develop a guide to help organizers identify and assess relevant risk factors at major outdoor music events.
Based on this recommendation, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Justice prepared a national guide on concert safety, which was first published in 2002 and has since been updated.
What does Roskilde Festival do today to prevent similar incidents?
Roskilde Festival’s safety managers work year-round to analyze and assess risks across all aspects of the festival — with a particular focus on areas where large crowds gather. Crowd management is an integral part of the planning, and at the largest stages a zoned pit system is used to divide the participants into smaller, controlled sections.
During concerts, safety managers monitor crowd movement in real time. They are able to intervene and activate emergency protocols if pressure builds or unsafe situations arise. Data and insights from previous years are continuously used to adjust site design, access routes, and communication strategies.
This work is carried out in close collaboration with authorities, experts, and international partners. The goal is to create concert experiences that are both intense and safe — where everyone knows how to take care of themselves and one another.
How does Roskilde Festival collaborate with authorities and experts on safety?
Roskilde Festival works closely with the police, emergency services, health authorities, and safety professionals before, during, and after the festival. The safety plan is developed in dialogue with the authorities and must be approved by them each year. The festival’s own safety teams are trained and coordinated according to shared guidelines.
Internationally, Roskilde Festival has played an active role in the development of safety standards. Following the accident in 2000, the festival took part in promoting The Event Safety Guide and was among the first to implement it. Roskilde Festival also helped establish a safety network under the festival association Yourope and the international forum ILMC, where knowledge and experiences are shared among festivals and experts.
The festival has also collaborated with researchers from institutions such as Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, recognized as a leader in the field of crowd safety.
In the days leading up to the festival, we host a safety seminar for our internal teams and partners, focusing on current knowledge and procedures for safety planning.