As I approach the border guard at Copenhagen airport, he asks what brings me to the city. I tell him that I’m actually here for Roskilde Festival, held in the capital’s quieter, less flashy neighbour. His previously stern face lights up with a grin. He’s a proud local, he tells me, and Roskilde is a beautiful place to live. He waves me through the gate, but only once he’s jokingly – I think – warned me to be quiet when I leave the festival site. I smile sheepishly and butcher a Danish tak in response.
I’m far from the only tourist arriving for the festival. Its origin story is the stuff of legend: in 1971, a group of Danish high school students set out to recreate the hippie values and folk-rock line-up of Woodstock, pooling their resources to build something special. The inaugural festival was a hit: some 12,000 fans bought tickets, with plenty more scaling the fences for a free glimpse of the action.
