World City Guide

Culture

Copenhagen is undergoing something of a cultural renaissance, with the new Royal Opera House (website: www.operahus.dk) opened in January 2005, on Holmen, just across the water from the royal palace of Amalienborg, and a new theatre planned for opening on Kvæsthusbroen in 2008.

Det Kongelige Teater (The Royal Theatre), Kongens Nytorv (tel: 3369 6933 (information) or 3369 6969 (box office); website: www.kgl-teater.dk), has been at the heart of the city’s cultural life since the 18th century. The old stage dates from 1874 and is located on the site of a royal theatre since 1748. The Royal Theatre, with its opulent circular auditorium, has long been home to The Royal Danish Theatre, Royal Danish Opera and Royal Danish Ballet. The opera and ballet have now moved to the new Royal Opera House on Holmen, even though they are still involved in productions at the Royal Theatre. Please note: call the Royal Theatre for details of performances at the new Royal Opera House, and to book tickets.

Tickets for almost all cultural events and performance in the city are sold by BilletNet (tel: 7015 6565; website: www.billetnet.dk) at post offices or online. Copenhagen This Week (website: www.ctw.dk) and the Wonderful Copenhagen tourist information website (www.visitcopenhagen.dk) both provide information on cultural events. The Copenhagen Post (website: www.cphpost.dk) is a weekly newspaper, costing Dkk15, which provides Danish news in English, with information on current concerts, films and shows.

Music: Despite the best efforts of numerous Danish composers, it is Danny Kaye’s song, ‘Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen’ from the 1952 film Hans Christian Andersen that buzzes maddeningly in people’s heads when they visit the city.

Founded in 1925, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (website: www.dr.dk/rso) is one of the oldest radio symphony orchestras in the world. Closely affiliated to the Symphony Orchestra is the Danish National Choir, founded in 1932 (website: www.dr.dk/rk). They both perform at the DR Concert Hall, Julius Thomsens Gade, Frederiksberg (tel: 3520 3040).

The Royal Danish Opera perform both at the city’s new Opera House, Ekvipagemestervej 10 (website: www.operahus.dk) and at Det Kongelige Teater (The Royal Theatre; see above). The Royal Danish Orchestra traces its ancestry to the Royal Trumpet Corps of 1458 and, as such, it is the oldest orchestra in the world. They perform at the Tivoli Koncertsalen (Tivoli Concert Hall), Vesterbrogade 3 (tel: 3315 1012; website: website: www.tivoli.dk). This is the city’s largest classical music venue, with seating for approximately 1,900 people. The hall was decorated by leading Danish artists and stages over 100 concerts, operas and ballets throughout the season (April to September). There are also daily recitals and concerts in the winter garden at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (see Key Attractions).

Theatre: Det Kongelige Teater (see above) has three stages: the Gamle Scene (Old Stage) at Kongens Nytorv, the Stærekassen (New Stage) at Tordenskjoldsgade 5, and the Turbinehallerne (Turbine Halls), Adelgade 10, in a former power station. Between them, they host classic and contemporary drama, opera and dance performances.

Another major venue is Det Ny Teater (The New Theatre), Gammel Kongevej 29 (tel: 3325 6005; fax: 3321 5006; website: www.detnyteater.dk). The Pantomime Theatre in Tivoli stages a pantomime daily April to July, usually revolving around the strange relationship between Pierrot and Harlequin.

Dance: The Royal Ballet performs at Det Kongelige Teater (see above). Founded at the end of the 18th century, under the Italian choreographer Galeotti, the company achieved its heyday in the 19th century under August Bournonville. The main venue for contemporary dance is Dansescenen, Øster Fælled Torv 34 (tel: 3543 8300; fax: 3543 8110; website: www.dansescenen.dk).

Film: Danish films are now attracting worldwide interest. The director Lars von Trier has achieved international acclaim for films such as The Kingdom (1994), Breaking The Waves (1996), The Idiots (1998), Dancer in the Dark (2000) and Dogville (2003). Festen (1999), directed by the Danish Thomas Vinterberg, was also a huge success.

The annual Copenhagen Night Film Festival (tel: 3345 4749; website: www.copenhagenfilmfestival.com) features films from across the world. Cinema is very popular in the city and most films are shown in the original language with Danish subtitles. Two of the main multiplexes showing the latest blockbusters and action films are CinemaxX Fisketorvet, Kalvebod Brygge 57 (tel: 7026 0199), and Imperial, Ved Vesterport 4 (tel: 7013 1211). Independent films, shorts and European classics are more the staple repertoire of Cinemateket, Gothersgade 55 (tel: 3374 3412), and Grand Teatret, Mikkel Bryggers Gade 8 (tel: 3315 1611).

Cultural Events: The Copenhagen International Jazz Festival (tel: 3393 2013; e-mail: info@jazzfestival.dk; website: www.jazzfestival.dk) is held for 10 days annually in July. The biggest event of the festival is Giant Jazz, in the Circus building, an extravaganza with some of the world’s top musicians. Rock is covered in the June Roskilde Festival (tel: 4636 6613; fax: 4632 1499; e-mail: info@roskilde-festival.dk; website: www.roskilde-festival.dk) at Roskilde. Despite the tragedy in 2000, when fans of grunge band Pearl Jam were crushed to death in the crowd, the Roskilde Festival remains one of the most important and popular rock and pop festivals in Europe.

The biannual Golden Days in Copenhagen Festival (tel: 3542 1432; fax: 3542 1491; e-mail: info@goldendays.dk; website: www.goldendays.dk), in September, includes exhibitions, concerts, ballet and drama celebrating the Danish Golden Age (1800-50), spearheaded by the likes of Hans Christian Andersen and Søren Kierkegaard. The annual Kulturnatten or Copenhagen Night of Culture (tel: 3325 7400; e-mail: kulturnatten@woco.dk; website: www.kulturnatten.dk) is the night (usually in August, September or October) when locals and visitors wearing a Culture Badge can attend special events in the city’s museums, galleries, churches, theatres, concert halls, bookshops and cafés.

Literary Notes: Needless to say, Hans Christian Andersen is Copenhagen’s most famous literary son. His fairytales, such as the Little Mermaid (1837) and the Ugly Duckling (1843), are globally recognised. More recently, Peter Høeg has achieved international acclaim for his novel Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow (1992), part of which is set in the city. Karen Blixen (1885-1962), the author of Out of Africa (1938), lived a short distance from Copenhagen. Her home at Rungsted Strandvej 111 is now a popular museum – the Karen Blixen Museet (tel: 4557 1057; fax: 4557 1058; e-mail: karen-blixen@dinesen.dk; website: www.isak-dinesen.dk).