ARTS THAT FUEL YOUR MIND AND MOVE YOUR FEET

There is so much going on at this year’s festival. Here’s your guide to some of the essential arts, talks, performances, and dance-offs that embrace everything from safer spaces to ecstatic utopias.

Do you know where to find all the mesmerizing dance battles, gripping debates and mind-blowing arts at Roskilde Festival 2023? If not, you’re in luck! Because this article right here will guide you through some of the highest highs that take place throughout this year’s festival.

At RF23, we’re uniting one-of-a-kind artists, activists, performers, and festival participants (that means you!) in a celebration of empowerment, equality and ecstatic utopias. The goal? To inspire and provoke, to ignite a spark, to create positive changes, to raise the bar of what seems possible.

Let’s move on and introduce you to some carefully selected highlights here!

Experience an inclusive and empowering art installation

When and where?
Sunday June 25, 17:00 – Destroy Me Once, Destroy Me Twice

Bring life to the party of your dreams on the first day of the festival with Artem, who, through experimental art installations, sensory experiences, and political self-awareness, presents their Party of Your Dreams.

This boundary-pushing event revolves around collaboration with talented emerging artists and their interpretation of creating a safe and inclusive space where the party can extend beyond music and dance into other art forms.

Artem is a Copenhagen-based artist collective that promotes the artistic and creative practices of women and minority groups, challenging the inequality of access to the art and cultural scene for all.

Want to find even more events at the festival that embrace safety and safer spaces? Then don’t miss out on Lise Haller Baggesen's decoration of Gloria, the panel debate on safety in the nightlife, or Alex/Alexandra Jönsson, who explores behavior and care in temporary party communities with the artwork Safer House.

Make room for contemplation and your soft energies

When and where?
From Wednesday 28 June to Saturday 1 July – The festival site at Gate 6, between Arena and Orange Stage.

Let's stay just a little longer in these trustful landscapes. Maria Nørholm Ramouk's textile installation, titled "N9drou ngharsou chejra (We could plant a Tree)," offers you a serene and embracing space amidst the event's energetic atmosphere. Crafted with plant-dyed textiles, the tent-like structure invites contemplation and shared soft energies.

Ramouk's work incorporates personal, historical, and cultural symbols, creating a caring textile landscape that encourages reflection on the impact of social and cultural conditions on communities and their collective identities.

All people unite – join the Culture Clash dance battle and party!

When and where?
Monday 26 June, 15:00 – Destroy Me Once, Destroy Me Twice

Now, let's get the heat going! Embark on a mesmerizing journey through the world of dance cultures with Global Kidz and World Dance Academy. This diverse collective of young people and professional dancers from Congo, Senegal, Jamaica, Colombia, and more will transform the dance floor at the campsite into a joyful and vibrant space.

Expect crazy vibes, ecstatic movements, and an open-style dance battle where everyone is welcome to participate. Let the addictive Afrobeat and dancehall rhythms move your body and ignite your energy!

Don’t miss out on all the captivating things that take place at Destroy Me Once, Destroy Me Twice. Take a look in schedule in our festival app or here.

Feel the rush from Marikiscrycrycry's ecstatic utopias

When and where?
From Wednesday 28 June to Saturday July 1 – Platform

At Roskilde Festival, British-American choreographer Marikiscrycrycry will present “DARK, HAPPY, TO THE CORE”, a new artwork created for Platform. During the festival’s Final Days, they are united by a team of talented international dancers, showcasing rhythm and hardcore excitement while addressing marginalization and striving for inclusivity.

Their performance explore gender, race, and sexuality's impact on acceptance and belonging. Through art, they reveal hidden aspects of existence and the paradox of feeling both human and dehumanized.

In the video above you can meet Marikiscrycrycry and hear more about their performances at the festival.

Looking for more captivating dance performances at RF23? Then you definitely shouldn't miss out on Daria Blum or Jules Fischer & Josefine Opsahl at Platform, as well as Lise Haller Baggesen's performance at Glorias foyer.

Discover the power of music in the Iranian struggle for freedom

When and where?

In Iran, it is prohibited to dance in public spaces, women are not allowed to perform in front of men who are not family members, and artists and musicians risk imprisonment, fines, or even lashes if their music is labeled as "un-Islamic" or "too Western" by the authorities. Despite the oppressive legislation, the country's underground music industry has been flourishing in recent decades.

Liraz, Melodi Ghazal, and Babak Vakili all have Iranian roots and come together at Avalon for a conversation about their relationship with music from their homeland and the role music has played in recent protests in the country. By letting music guide us through Iran's political and cultural history, we can gain a better understanding of the Iranian people's current struggle for freedom.

Melodi Ghazal and Liraz will also perform at RF23. Melodi Ghazal will be playing at Gloria on Thursday 29, at 16:30, while Liraz will deliver a Persian dance party at Avalon on Friday 30 June, at 15:00.

Meet young climate activists fighting for a sustainable and just future

When and where?
Saturday 1 July, 12:00 – Arena

Take part in the Climate Justice Talk and listen to the powerful voices of Luisa Neubauer, Helena Gualinga, Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, and Selma de Montgomery. These inspiring activists from Germany, Ecuador, Uganda, and Denmark respectively, share their stories of resistance and call for action, from protecting the Amazon rainforest to fighting the consequences of climate change in Africa and Europe. They will surely ignite your inner activist and empower you to make a difference.

Are you looking for more highly topical and crucial talks at the festival? Then you can, among other things, remove the taboos surrounding you and your friends' personal finances with Nima Tisdall, Casper Frøkjær Juul, Babyface Mo, and Mette Byriel, listen to Gry Stokkendahl Dalgas and Glenn Bech discuss system-critical literature, or let your feelings be heard when Herlige Svend, Jalal Arabi, Lasse Dein, and Maria Bülow debate modern masculinity.