What's Happening in Copenhagen in May
May is our favourite month in Copenhagen - sunshine, festivals, Distortion!, ice cream, good vibes, and even a swim in the water! Not only is May the month that Copenhagen’s most iconic and epic dance festival arrives, but along with Distortion there are other festivals, events, parties, street parties, and activities. From Copenhagen Marathon to the Beer Festival - the city is literally full of life, whether it’s high-energy fun or relaxed eating and drinking! Enjoy a bite to eat at Reffen - Copenhagen Food Market and soak up the summer vibes on the waterfront, explore a neighbourhood following our “like a local” guides, or take a wander through one of our many green parks.
Catch US rock band The Lumineers in concert at the Royal Arena May 9th, or Danish Indie band Mew there 31st May. It is also a great time of year to wander the parks, hire a bike and explore the long city circuit along the waterfront, or even dare to visit the beach! We hope it will be beautiful and sunny, but this is never guaranteed… so prepare yourself for any weather, grab an ice cream, and come and join the fun!
Image courtesty of Distortion Press Archive and photographer Alvaro GM
Festival Fun!!
Distortion Festival (May 28–June 1, 2025)
With over 300,000 people coming together over 5 days of festival fun, this iconic dance festival and moving street party is back again for its annual blast off! Distortion is Copenhagen's largest street party and electronic music festival. Taking place in the streets and neighbourhoods, it's a crazy and dynamic event where different zones are taken over for music, live DJs, dance and performances.
Distortion 2025 Schedule
Wednesday, June 4: Distortion X Rådhuspladsen: 16:00–23:00, Distortion Club: 22:00–04:00
Thursday, June 5: Nørrebro Street Party (free): 16:00–22:00, Distortion X Nørrebro: 16:00–23:00, Distortion Club: 22:00–04:00
Friday, June 6: Havnefest (free): 15:00–21:00, Distortion Ø: 18:00–04:00, Distortion Club: 22:00–04:00
Saturday, June 7: Distortion Ø: 18:00–06:00
Sunday, June 8: Afterparty (free): 06:00–12:00
Photo credit cphDistortion.dk @ Photographer Danil Ojha
48 Time Festival (May 16-18, 2025)
This festival is a 48 hour celebration of the neighbourhood of Nørrebro, a hip suburb of Copenhagen that has plenty of urban cultures, cafes, shops, parks, skaters, and is home to multicultural families, students, and creatives. The festival has a programme of arts, culture, music, and events to celebrate this diverse area.
Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen (May 22–23, 2025)
Hosted by the famous Mikkeller brewery, this beer festival brings together over 100 breweries from around the world. Beer tasting over 2 days, with up to 800 different beers on show. Many of the beers here at the beer celebration have been brewed specially for the event.You can sample the craft beers and find out all about the breweries! Perfect for beer enthusiasts.
Eid Mela & Asian Food Festival May 25th
Also in Nørrebro is this local festival that celebrates culture, food and fashion of this multicultural neighbourhood. Expect traditional costume, latest fashion, tasty Asian cuisine and a showcasing of local culture in Copenhagen among the Asian community.
Science & Nature Lovers - Bloom Festival, May 23-25th
Søndermarken Park is the outdoor setting for this festival that brings together nature, art, and science. There will be talks and activities, in a unique setting for merging learning with a relaxing park setting!
08 Vinterhaven af Vilhelm Dahlerup. Glyptoteket © Anders Sune Berg
Film Lovers - “Breaking Darkness” on Lars von Trier, at the Nikolaj Kunsthal
One for the cinema fans - iconic and controversial Danish filmmaker Lars Von Trier (Dogville, The Idiots) is at the centre of this immersive exhibition at the Nikolaj Kunsthal. Expect an experience of film and sound that is designed to invite you into the Producer’s world and the thought process of his provocative filmmaking.
Art Lovers - “Iconoclasm” exhibition at the Carlsberg Glyptotek
A delve into art and power and how art has represented and defined our cultural identity historically. Does art represent society? This exhibition explores art as a historical and political tool, and the destruction of art as a political statement.
Theatre Lovers - CPH STAGE festival, 22nd-31st May
This theatre festival is centred around Danish theatre and performing arts, making the most of traditional and alternative events and locations for their cutting edge projects. For any theatre lovers this is a great opportunity to see some unusual projects in unique venues around the city.
Copenhagen Marathon, May 11th
Taking place since 1980, around 10,000 runners are expected to pound through the city streets 11th May. This historic race takes place in Copenhagen in May, with the fearless runners weaving their way through the city past some of the most iconic sites including Tivoli and Kongens Nytorv. Whether you are taking part yourself (!!) or cheering on the crowd, there are plenty of places along the route to join in the occasion. There are DJs, a street party, and plenty of cheers at Drowning’s Louise’s Bridge with thousands of spectators and through the main city neighbourhoods. One of the most scenic points is on the waterfront - with an electric atmosphere as the runners pass by!
Ice Cream Lovers
The sun is out, it’s time for “IS”! If you’re more of into ice cream than running 26 miles, then we have some top tips for you. Vegan ice cream lovers are in for a treat at Nicecream, which uses coconut milk to create their creamy scoops of heaven. They also have plenty of fruity flavours and nutty toppings to make the perfect cup or cone. If you like a creamy whipped gelato (which isn’t technically the same… especially if you ask an Italian…) then head to Maggie’s Gelateria in Torvehallerne Market in Nørreport. Traditional flavours, artisan making, perfect for any ice-cream lover. ISTID is another one of our favourite places, but you have to travel a little to trendy Nørrebro for it. They have delicious and creative flavours, but the selling point is their organic ice cream is made fresh from freezing every ingredient with liquid nitrogen. Innovate and tasty.
Coming up in June to look forward to!
CopenHell metal festival smashes into town for 4 days in June, from 18-21st, with rock, metal and heavy metal bands leaping not the stage. This is one of the biggest festivals for metal fans in Northern Europe and has major international acts such as Slipknot, The Prodigy, Billy Idol, Alien Ant Farm, Bullet for my Valentine, Poppy and Skunk Anansie.
Copenhagen Photo Festival arrives 12th-22nd June, as the largest festival of its kind in the Nordic countries. See local and international photographer’s works displayed in galleries and institutions across the city.
The Royal Run… taking place across Denmark but also in Copenhagen, The Royal Run is an event for all the family where everyone is encourage to get moving! 1Km, 5m, or 10km can be walked, skipped, or run - it’s the taking part that counts!
Book your Bed with us at Copenhagen Downtown Hostel
Our outside terrace is calling for you! Come and relax on our bean bags, grab a happy hour drink, and watch the world go by from our hostel bar terrace. We have plenty of activities and parties to join in and meet people from all over the world, or hire a bike and go explore! There is something for everyone at our retro design hostel - the best location and original backpacker vibe.
We also love to party and have DJ and live music events. If you are visiting Copenhagen for Distortion festival, then come and visit us for your pre drinks, afterparty, and recovery drinks! We have it all. Our live music and DJ parties at Copenhagen Downunder are open until late, and we are famous for our happy hour as well as an international crowd and theme parties. For Distortion weekend you will not regret staying with us!
Book your bed with us at Copenhagen Downtown Hostel for the best party time guaranteed - we will make it a weekend to remember!! Find out about our events here.