With 180 music acts and approximately 130,000 visitors from all over the world, Roskilde Festival has rightfully earned the title of Northern Europe’s largest culture and music festival. Next year Roskilde Festival sets its stages for the 50th consecutive year and for more than a week, music will fill the air from morning until late at night.
Voices of Europe meets Lars Orlamundt, Head Of Division at Roskilde Festival, in front of the iconic orange stage. In a few days, the festival site will be filled with thousands of fired up guests. However, it does not seem to worry Lars Orlamundt. He has tried it many times before.
"Volunteers are the DNA of Roskilde Festival. More than 30,000 volunteers create one of the biggest temporary cities in the world: Roskilde Festival with its 130,000 inhabitants. Roskilde Festival is the largest cultural festival in Northern Europe."
Lars Orlamundt is in charge of sales management and of linking the sales organization with marketing. But Lars is not in any way your average business stereotype. Contrary to what one might expect, Lars started paving his path to his involvement in Roskilde Festival in the The Next Stop Movement, a Danish political youth movement in the late 1980s. It originated from the Youth for Peace Organization. The culmination of the movement's activities was the so-called Next Stop initiatives, in which young people traveled to Nevada (1987) and Moscow (1989) to agitate against nuclear test explosions.
There seems to be a straight line from Lars Orlamundt's past to his involvement in the Roskilde Festival: "As a volunteer, you are an important part of the unique community that creates Roskilde Festival each year. 30,000 volunteers who have the desire and the energy to make sure that our project succeeds. When checking-in at Roskilde Festival you also check in to Denmark’s fourth largest city. A city that — when counting all volunteers, ticket holders, partners and artists — reaches a number higher than 130,000 inhabitants." Lars retains a steel look, but his voice picks up a gentler tone: "A city beyond compare with any other city — or festival for that matter. A city that challenges and moves us with music, art, free space and community. The volunteers are the heart of the city and what makes the city come to life. Without volunteers there would be no Roskilde Festival."
"At Roskilde Festival you are a part of a community where we meet one another at eye level and with respect for our differences. When we get together, we learn about ourselves and each other. Some volunteer because of the community and music, and some because they simply want to learn new things. Whatever the reason, we want you to feel welcome and have a say about the general direction of the festival", Lars Orlamundt says and continues: "The 50th edition of Roskilde Festival will take place in 2020. We celebrate this amazing milestone throughout the year. The birth of Roskilde Festival is the story of young people who did something. They created a community right there and then. Two high school students had a goal, they dreamed big and took matters into their own hands. They created an event, and gathered over 10,000 young people who enjoyed the freedom, the community and the music in late August 1971. That was the foundation for Roskilde Festival. The community has grown since then. The festival has become much bigger but the focus remains the same. It is about commitment, about making a difference, paving the way by means of music, art and sustainability. In 2020, we are doing it for the 50th time. Roskilde Festival is the largest cultural festival in Northern Europe. It’s a unique and an all-encompassing experience, with music, events, and food. But for many people Roskilde Festival is—first of all—a heart warm and strong community. You are just a drop of water. But together we are a great big ocean."
Roskilde Festival Playlist
Music
The Roskilde Festival was Denmark's first music-oriented festival created for hippies, and today covers more of the mainstream youth from Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. The Roskilde Festival 2019 had more than 180 performing bands, along with more than 21,000 volunteers, 5,000 media people and 3,000 artists – totalling almost 130,000 people who participated in the festival.
Spotify: Roskilde Festival 2020: Official Playlist
Whiplashed at 28
Heidi Peteresen is a volunteer at Roskilde Festival. One afternoon in August five years ago, her life changes from one second to the next. She is hit by a drunk driver. Heidi injures her head profusely. In that instant everything is taken away from her. The community surrounding Roskilde Festival becomes a very important part of Heidi’s recovery and attempt at winning her life back. And less than five years after her accident, Heidi is back helping the festival become greener.
The Dishwasher
A 13.4 Meters Long Mobile Dishwasher
This year, Roskilde Festival took an important step in the fight against plastic waste and for a more circular business model at festivals. From this year’s festivals, a completely new and sustainable recycled plastic glass, developed by Carlsberg in collaboration with NorthSide, Tinderbox, Roskilde festival and GREEN, was introduced.
The new glass is made from polypropylene and can be washed onsite in Tuborg’s mobile dishwasher until worn down. It is expected that the glasses will endure 25 uses before sending the material back to the supplier for recycling. This film shows how volunteers fill and empty the enormous dishwasher.
International Volunteering
International Volunteering
Your Europe: Volunteering is a great way of contributing to local communities at home or abroad, while developing new skills and making friends. The European Voluntary Service offers opportunities to volunteer in another country in Europe or elsewhere in the world. The European Voluntary is open to all young people aged 18-30. Activities are unpaid, but all costs are covered. Read more here.
Read More: International Volunteering
International Volunteering
Traveling from abroad and want to volunteer at Roskilde Festival? You are very much welcome. But before applying there are a few things you need to know.
FAQ: Roskilde Festival Volunteering
