Monday Morning News & Notes
Record Warm Spring in the Nordics. Russia’s Misinformation Efforts.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🇩🇰 ☀️
Denmark has just recorded the hottest spring on record. March, April, and now May have all been much warmer than usual, and the total average temperature for all three months is the highest spring temperature ever recorded in Denmark’s history, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute.
The average temperature in March was 5.2 degrees, which is 1.9 degrees warmer than average. April came in at 7.4 degrees, a narrow 0.4 degrees warmer than normal. May cranked up the heat with an average monthly temperature of 14.5 degrees, which is 3.1 degrees higher than any previous May.
From May 11, temperatures exceeded 20 degrees every day somewhere in Denmark until May 31, with one exception when it only reached 19.1 degrees on May 29.
May 2024 will also go down in the record books as the first May without a single night of frost since they began keeping records back in 1895.
In the last 30 years, the average mean temperature for the spring months has increased by 1.1 degrees.
With all of this in mind, DMI Climate Atlas Scientific Leader Mark Payne looks ahead to what future spring months might look like.
“Based on the world's current climate policy, we expect that the average spring temperature in Denmark will rise by 2 degrees to 9.1 degrees towards the end of the century compared to 1981-2010. This means that what we are experiencing today as a record will be quite normal in the future. Towards the end of the century, we also expect that the amount of spring precipitation will increase by 10% and that the number of frosty nights will be cut in half.”
Payne emphasizes that forecasting future weather depends on a lot of factors, some of them can vary depending on Mother Nature, and some depend on the decisions and actions we take as humankind.
“The more we reduce emissions of greenhouse gases now, the smaller the changes in the future climate will be.”
-
Blue flags went up at beaches across Denmark over the weekend. Under the Danish ‘Badepunkt’ rules, a blue flag means the water is clean and ready for swimming and that there is unique nature and outdoor activities nearby. Conversely, if you are at a beach and a red flag is flying, it means the water is not safe to swim in.
-
Oh, how the weather pendulum has swung. After a soaking wet winter and multiple flooding events across Denmark with the advent of summer-like heat, the Danish Meteorological Institute has begun to keep an eye on the drought situation.
So far, the metropolitan Copenhagen area and a swatch of Sjælland, along with the island of Bornholm, are moving into drought like conditions.
🇫🇮 ☀️
It was also a record-warm May in Finland. The Finnish Meteorological Institute says that the average temperature for the month was between three and four degrees higher than usual. The institute says May also set a new heat wave record. The FMI defines a heatwave as any day with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees, a threshold breached 16 times last month. That breaks the previous record of 14 ‘heatwave’ days in May, 2018.
Temperatures have been soaring over the last week in Finland, with the thermometer in some parts of the country coming close to 30 degrees. The heat triggered the weather agency to issue a wildfire warning for most of the country late last week.
This caps off a wild spring with a drastic shift in temperatures in April as the winter cold gave way to summer like heat almost overnight, resulting in a 50 degree temperature swing.
🇩🇪 ☔️
A massive amount of rain over the weekend has caused major flooding in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. In some areas a whole month’s worth of rain (135 millimeters) fell in a day. A state of emergency has been declared in the hardest-hit areas of the two states, some 40,000 rescue workers have been deployed, and over 3,000 people have been evacuated.
And things could get worse before they get better. Forecasts called for up to 70 millimeters more rain to fall in already flooded areas of the country on Sunday.
🇩🇰
Danish municipalities are starting to take a hard look at banning older wood-burning stoves that were installed prior to 2008. According to the Danish Ministry of the Environment, old wood-burning stoves are the largest source of polluting particulate matter that poses a risk to human health. Older stoves emit as much as five times the harmful particulate matter as brand new ones.
In Aarhus, the city council and other city officials are examining the idea of banning old wood stoves and what that might look like before a final decision is made. Copenhagen is also taking a serious look at enacting a ban.
Between the two cities, a ban could impact almost 10,000 homes with ancient wood-burning stoves.
-
In a big step towards sustainability, the city of Copenhagen has achieved its climate target for food procurement a full year ahead of schedule, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. Approximately 70,000 meals are made daily in the city for children, seniors, and socially vulnerable groups. According to a new report by the World Resources Institute the city has cut its food procurement emissions by more than 25% since 2018, according to a new report from the World Resources Institute.
Mayor Sophie Haestorp Andersen:
“It’s a huge compliment to the staff in our kitchens. I hope our healthy, climate-friendly, and tasty meals in our institutions serve as an inspiration to all Copenhageners who want to eat more climate-friendly at home.”
The city reached its goal by essentially down-prioritizing meat and focusing more on vegetables and other green protein sources. Since 2018, the city has cut its beef and lamb procurement by about 52% and reduced pork purchases by nearly 20%, making beef and lamb account for less than 1.5% of total food procurement. Concurrently, the purchase of legumes, nuts, and seeds, has surged by over 50%. This shift translates to a substantial reduction of roughly 32,000 tons of CO2 emissions in 2023 compared to 2018.
🇳🇴🇸🇪
Some potentially good environmental news from Norway. Researchers may have developed a method for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogen-rich fertilizers. In a study published in the science journal Nature, researchers in Norway detail how they have developed a bacteria that turns emissions from nitrous oxide, the third most common greenhouse gas, into harmless nitrogen gas.
Researcher Elisabeth Gautefall Hiis
“The bacteria reduced the emissions of nitrous oxide by up to 95 percent immediately after fertilization. The amount of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has increased sharply since we started using artificial fertilizers. The challenge is that we need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases while at the same time producing enough food.”
The researchers had tested the method in a laboratory but admit that even they were surprised at how well it worked during a field test at an actual farm.
While the results are promising, Professor Sara Hallin at Sweden's University of Agriculture says a lot more work is needed to be able to successfully apply the method to ordinary agriculture.
“You need to work further with the amount and mix of bacteria and fertilizer substrate to be used. Only then can one draw conclusions about the effects. But it is a step on the way to solving a serious problem.”
🇸🇪
Farmers in Sweden are having to adopt different measures to keep their dairy cows cool due to climate change. Hot temperatures lead to cows to becoming heat-stressed; they eat less and then produce less milk. Cooling fans and mist spraying systems to keep cows cool are becoming a normal part of the milk production system across Sweden. Some cows even wear smart collars, so farmers keep a close eye on their temperature.
Växa Product Manager Emilia Oskarsson:
“This will become more important as we deal with climate change.”
Sweden’s largest cattle farming association, Växa, says dairy cows thrive best at about 10 degrees. When temperatures rise above 15 degrees, they become heat-stressed, and milk production suffers.
🇩🇰
All the sunshine and the wind last month produced so much solar and wind energy that there were a record high number of hours where electricity prices were pushed into the negative. According to the Energy Data Service, there were 134 hours in May with negative electricity prices. Another factor contributing to all of the surplus energy was the Danish energy grid expanding its connections with the main European grid.
-
Denmark is giving the commercial trucking industry a helping hand in making the green energy transition. A majority of the parties in the Danish parliament have agreed to use 75 million Danish kroner (about $14.8 million Cdn) to provide a subsidy for businesses to buy electric and hydrogen freight trucks.
The subsidy will cover 60% of the purchase of new electric and hydrogen trucks for small businesses, diminishing to 30% for big businesses. A similar floating rate also applies for charging and hydrogen filling stations.
Companies can begin to apply for financial help beginning August 15. Smaller companies will get priority.
The money will come from the 750 million-kroner Green Fund. The government has already established subsidies for trucks running on biogas.
🇸🇪
The green energy transition is clashing with agricultural needs in the Nordics in a battle over a finite amount of arable land. However, a Swedish company is experimenting with a possible solution. Sunsurf Solar is placing floating solar panels in man-made ponds and irrigation waterways. So far, their floating solar arrays have produced 100,000 kilowatt-hours of power over the course of a year.
CEO Mark Montgomery says agricultural land is vital for the supply of food, and if we can avoid using it for solar farms, then all the better. Montgomery says that they would like to expand the company’s floating solar panel farms to actual waterways, but that will take time.
“The idea is that you need to do several studies, especially on aquatic life.”
The idea is not a new one. Last year, floating solar panels were installed in the North Sea waters on the coast of Oostende as part of a trial effort. The ‘Seavolt’ project is the third such project in the EU. If the panels prove effective and can endure the rough conditions of the North Sea, then they could be installed in the waters between offshore wind turbines.
🇫🇴
The Faroe Islands have run out of diesel, and gas supplies are also dwindling fast, with only three gas stations still in operation as of Sunday. A labour dispute has resulted in four major unions going on strike, which has led to the fuel shortage.
🇪🇺⚡️
EU energy ministers committed to a deeper integration of the European electricity grid and emphasized the need for more comprehensive cross-border planning during a meeting of the Energy Council late last week. As power consumption in Europe is projected to increase by 350% with the EU's decarbonization efforts, €600 billion in grid investments are needed until 2030. The ministers signed a declaration stressing the importance of an EU Supergrid, with Belgium’s energy minister Tinne Van der Straeten highlighting how interconnected grids mitigated the 2022 energy crisis by facilitating cross-border power flows.
The comprehensive integration of power grids could reduce fuel use by 21% by 2030 and stabilize power prices, according to the think tank Bruegel. Ministers pledged to enhance long-term, coordinated infrastructure planning, aiming for a unified EU approach. This includes potential 20-year plans and anticipatory investments to address future demand. Despite the European Commission identifying €600 billion in required investments, the gap between planned investments and total needs remains unspecified. EU leaders urged the Commission to quantify this gap and called on the European Investment Bank to bolster financing and de-risking initiatives to meet the ambitious power grid targets.
🦠Outbreaks🦠
🌎
A new study has revealed that the COVID pandemic had a profound impact on global mortality rates. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study notes that in the seven decades leading up to the coronavirus arriving in 2020, global mortality rates had fallen by 62.8%. However, the pandemic abruptly reversed this trend when global death rates rose by 5.1% in 2020 and 2021. Despite this overall increase, child mortality continued to fall, though at a slower pace.
The study determined that COVID caused an estimated 15.9 million deaths in the first two years of the pandemic alone. This includes both direct fatalities from the virus and indirect deaths resulting from the pandemic's social and economic disruptions. Interestingly, while 80 countries experienced significantly higher death rates during the pandemic, 20 countries actually reported lower-than-expected mortality rates. In terms of life expectancy, the pandemic caused a global decline of 1.6 years between 2019 and 2021, interrupting a long-term increase that had seen life expectancy rise to 71.7 years by 2021. During the pandemic, only 32 out of 204 countries around the world registered an increase in life expectancy.
You can find the study in full HERE.
🇪🇺
COVID activity remains low across the European Union and the extended European Economic Area. However, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says there are some potential trouble signs. COVD-related hospital admissions have increased “after a long period of low activity.” The EDC also notes that the positivity percentage among vulnerable European seniors has also risen to 10%. It says seven countries are seeing increasing coronavirus activity.
“Due to a lower number of countries reporting in the reporting week and the overall low testing volumes in primary care sentinel sites, an assessment of the epidemiological situation for the EU/EEA is increasingly challenging, and data should be interpreted with some caution.”
🇫🇮
A Helsinki Court has issued a costly ruling to a man who tried to sue the Finnish government and a city coffee shop because he was denied entry to the cafe due to not having a vaccine passport. It happened in December 2021, during the height of the pandemic, when strict COVID restrictions were in place. At the time, in Finland, access to what stores were allowed to be open was strictly regulated by how many people could be inside, how far apart they had to stand, and if a person had a vaccine passport proving vaccination or a recent negative test result.
The man behind the lawsuit claimed that being denied entry to the cafe was a violation of his human rights, his freedom of religion, and amounted to discrimination against him. The court dismissed the case as being careless and unnecessary and then ordered the man to pay the state’s legal costs of €105,000 within 30 days. It also ordered him to shell out another €16,460 to cover the coffee shop’s legal fees as well. His lawyer has also been ordered to help cover the bill.
🇨🇦
The Canadian government has ended its coverage of the Paxlovid COVID antiviral treatment drug. The province of British Columbia immediately added Paxlovid to its pharmaceutical coverage, becoming the first province to do so. It will provide 100% coverage for every resident with an active medical services plan.
-
A vaccine production facility being built in Toronto will come online a year later than promised. Like other countries, Canada was caught flat-footed in the vaccine production race due to having no domestic vaccine production capacity. In an effort to solve that issue and be better prepared for future pandemics the Canadian government reached a deal with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi to build vaccine production facilities in Canada. The federal government kicked in $415 million to get the plant built.
When the deal was announced Sanofi said it expected vaccine production to come online in 2026, but last week the company announced vaccines wouldn’t be produced at the plant until 2027 due to some regulatory hurdles.
🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺
🇪🇺/ 🇷🇺
A Russian covert operation seeking to spread pro-Moscow propaganda and sow division among western nations has been laid bare in a major European investigative journalism collaboration. National broadcasters from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, along with news agencies in Germany, Austria, Britain, and other European countries, have gained access to hundreds of documents from a Russian state fund. The investigation reveals that Russia has been channeling millions of dollars into Europe, bypassing sanctions, to spread propaganda and misinformation.
The documents show that Moscow-based Pravfond, staffed with intelligence Russian officers, financed numerous media outlets spreading Russian propaganda in multiple European languages, including Danish, as part of a broader strategy to undermine Western unity and support for Ukraine. Pravfond’s activities, described in detailed contracts, budgets, and project reports, reveal a sophisticated operation designed to obscure its true purpose.
Mayak Intelligence Director Mark Galeotti, one of the world's leading experts in Russian security matters, says the documents provide a unique window into Russian efforts to sow division.
“The Russian state has a notion that Russia is fighting a political war with the West and that they must take advantage of every opportunity to create division and undermine us.”
Several anonymous sources within Western intelligence services confirmed the authenticity of the documents and the intelligence-driven nature of Pravfond's initiatives.
The documents also expose how Pravfond has strategically circumvented EU sanctions, creating the online media platform EuroMore to continue disseminating pro-Russian content after major Russian state media organizations were banned in Europe. EuroMore, which falsely claims to operate from Brussels but is based in Moscow, has been instrumental in spreading pro-Russian propaganda, misinformation, and narratives, particularly concerning its invasion of Ukraine.
EU Joint Foreign Service Chief Consultant Søren Liborius spoke to DR:
“You have to see it as a conscious, long-term attempt to influence the agenda and to flood the information landscape with material that can be amplified and shared on social media. When we look at the way Russia uses news outlets, we are far beyond normal journalistic standards, and a large part of it is hoaxes, fraud, and lies.”
The exposure of Pravfond’s operations underscores the ongoing challenge of countering foreign interference in Europe’s political and media environments.
NATO 🇺🇦
Self-defense does not equal an escalation. That is what NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Prague at a gathering of alliance defense ministers. At the meeting, he urged NATO member countries to untie Ukraine’s hands and remove any restrictions they might have on Ukraine’s use of those weapons to strike military targets inside Russia.
A number of European countries, including Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, have done just that. And under pressure, U.S. President Joe Biden also slightly shifted his position, allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons from the U.S. but only to hit targets within Russia that are launching attacks on the city of Kharkiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj attended the Ukrainian-Nordic summit in Stockholm and told reporters that Ukraine could soon begin launching attacks on Russian soil.
“I think it is a matter of time before Western weapons can be used on Russian territory.”
🇺🇦🇮🇸🇳🇴🇸🇪
While in Stockholm, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj signed the 13th, 14th, and 15th security agreements, these ones between Ukraine and Sweden, Norway, and Iceland.
The 10-year security pact with Sweden will see €6.5 billion in support flow to Ukraine over the next three years and then increase over the term of the pact. It includes, among other things, the recently donated ASC-890 surveillance “as well as the possibility of providing Ukraine with JAS 39 Gripen aircraft, including relevant training.”
The agreement with Iceland will see €30 million in support flow to Ukraine over the next four years. It also commits Iceland to providing long-term economic, humanitarian, and defense assistance to Ukraine. Iceland will also provide transportation for military supplies and equipment from NATO allies to Ukraine.
The security pact with Norway will ensure around €1.2 billion in military assistance for Ukraine in 2024 alone. It also commits Norway to helping Ukraine develop a modern air force, including through the donation of F-16 fighter jets and by developing Ukraine’s naval capabilities in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
🇫🇮🇺🇦
After the Nordic summit, Finnish President Alexander Stubb issued a call for all western countries to help Ukraine “as best as they can” to help them win the war against Russia.
"The situation on the ground is critical. I call upon all of our western allies, those who support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression and imperialism, to help out."
🇩🇰🇺🇦
Denmark has donated 19 F-16s to Ukraine and promised to begin delivering the jets by this summer. With summer officially underway as of this past weekend, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the delivery schedule is still on track but wouldn’t provide any details.
“The F-16 fighter jets, which are indeed a very special capability, we are close to having them in the skies over Ukraine. I'm not going to go into further detail with the F-16s. And I hope that there is an understanding that there is much we can share in a war, but there are also things that we cannot share.”
However, a key question remains unanswered. Can the Ukrainians use the more modern fighter jets to attack targets inside Russia? During a debate, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said F-16s must be allowed to hit Russian targets inside Russia.
“We base ourselves on international law, and when Ukraine is in armed conflict, the F-16 aircraft they will soon receive from Denmark must also be able to hit targets on the other side of the Ukrainian border. That is, inside Russia, where they store and mobilize a great deal of the military used to attack Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that Ukraine must be allowed to use donated weapons to strike military targets inside Russia. In a direct question from a DR reporter on whether that includes F-16s donated to Ukraine.
“I have no further comments.”
The problem is that Denmark doesn’t have the final say on how donated F-16s can be used. The fighter jets are American-made, meaning the Biden administration has the final word.
After the Nordic Summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was asked about whether Ukraine could use donated F-16s to hit targets inside Russia. He audibly sighed before answering.
“Today, I actually do not know exactly how we must use our future F-16 combat aircraft. We talk about it. I am saying that I believe that all Western weapons will be used against Russian territory at some point. It is a matter of time. The way it is now, they can attack us from Russian territory, but we cannot attack them. It is not normal.”
🇩🇰/ 🇷🇺🇨🇳
The Danish Police Intelligence Service (PET) and the Defense Intelligence Service (FE) are keeping a close eye on possible election interference ahead of this weekend’s EU parliamentary elections. According to a new threat assessment from the two agencies, a large-scale state-sponsored coordinated influence campaign orchestrated by Russia and China is unlikely. However, it does anticipate one or both countries taking advantage of any opportunities that present themselves.
PET Counterintelligence Head Anders Henriksen:
“It is possible, however, that the Russian intelligence services carry out a quick, targeted influence operation in Denmark if an opportunity arises in the run-up to the election to achieve a large effect with limited means.”
🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺
Game on. Last week, Russia caused a furor by suddenly posting on a government website that it would reassess its territorial water borders with Finland. The information would quickly be removed. But the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now responded by simply beginning its own review.
Finland and Russia share a 1,344-kilometer long border, 54 kilometers of which is a marine border. Base points are measured using special aerial radar, and from that, each country’s territorial waters are determined.
Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Engineer Seppo Mäkinen:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs examines the material and finds out if the location of the base point changes. For example, there is land uplift in the Gulf of Pohjanlahti. They are looking at whether the location of the base point will change.”
The last time water boundaries were reviewed between the two countries, Finland increased its territorial waters by about 20 kilometers. Reviews of the maritime border are done every 30 years. The Finnish authorities called the last process with Russia amicable and professional. One suspects things will be different this time.
🇩🇰🇳🇴
In a strategic move to bolster maritime surveillance in the northern seas, Norway and Denmark have signed an agreement to cooperate on the deployment of long-range drones. The signing, which took place in Brussels, marks a significant step in regional defense strategies in the Nordics.
Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram:
"Long-range drones represent a new capability for Norway, and partnering with Denmark, a key ally, will amplify our monitoring efforts. To increase our ability to monitor the northern seas. It is a new capacity for Norway and the Norwegian Armed Forces. We therefore want to do it in cooperation with our allies.”
Norway hasn’t settled on the exact type of drone it wants to use yet. But once that is sorted out, the plan is to utilize long-range drones alongside P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to increase Norway’s situational awareness across its northern waters.
🇳🇴🇪🇺
In a significant move to bolster defense and security cooperation, Norway and the European Union have signed a robust agreement in Brussels, ahead of the EU's annual Schuman Forum on security. The historic signing, attended by Norway's Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, and EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, marks a milestone in aligning Norway and the EU in an evolving security landscape, particularly in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram:
“NATO remains the cornerstone of Norwegian defense policy, but the EU is playing an increasingly vital role.”
The agreement ensures closer collaboration on military support for Ukraine, crisis management, countering hybrid threats, joint EU-Norwegian training missions, boosting European production of weapons and ammunition, and even working together in space.
🇳🇱🇺🇦
The Netherlands is launching a unique initiative in order to get another Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine as soon as possible. The Netherlands has identified key components of the missile system that the military has in its storage. It is now contacting other countries that use the Patriot system to see what spare components they might have. The idea is simple; if each country can contribute a key part or parts of the missile system, they can build a new one and donate it to Ukraine immediately.
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren:
“We are in discussions with countries to assemble a Patriot system and also train Ukrainian crews. With our offer, and if other potential partner countries can supply parts and ammunition, we can provide Ukraine with at least one complete system in the short term. The Secretary General of NATO recently stated that, as an alliance, we may temporarily go below the minimum capability requirements for our defense. So there is room for creativity. The industrial suppliers have committed to accelerate the production and delivery of replacement components. We can count on that.”
Odds & Ends
🇩🇰
Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark are using AI to monitor endangered bat species at Mønsted Kalkgruber. They have harnessed artificial intelligence in an algorithm to sort out the different species of bats based on digital pictures from cameras at the entrance to the pits. The researchers say that this evolution in monitoring the bats allows them to track bat population numbers much more closely, giving them a better ability to know if they are still threatened or if they are recovering.
-
The migration from rural areas to cities continues across Denmark. According to Statistics Denmark, as of January 2024, 11% of the population lived in rural areas, down from 12% the year previous. The agency says mid-size cities with around 50,000 residents seem to be benefiting the most, with cities like Roskilde, Silkeborg, and Herning seeing steadily growing population numbers.
🇫🇮🇨🇦
Finland’s Ambassador to Canada and will leave his post at the end of the month after the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a written reprimand for the ambassador not conducting himself “in a manner befitting his status and duties as a public official.” The Ministry says that Jari Vilén’s behavior includes inappropriate conduct, harassment, and sexual harassment.
The move comes after multiple complaints from diplomatic staff at the Finnish embassy in Canada. Vilén remains an employee of the ministry, even though he will soon no longer be an ambassador.
Vilén posted an apology on his Facebook page, saying he was “sincerely sorry” and that he has “learned from what happened” and did not intentionally mean to hurt anyone.
Finland has not yet named a new ambassador.
🇺🇸
Looking for a gift for that person who has everything? If you have some deep pockets, a “largely intact” stegosaurus skeleton will hit the auction block at Sotheby’s in New York. The skeleton is expected to fetch between $4 and $6 million. The stegosaurus named ‘Apex’ was found in the U.S. state of Colorado and is believed to have died of old age.
🇩🇰The Week Ahead Round Up🇩🇰
Monday, June 3:
The Danish national women’s football squad plays Spain in a EURO 2025 qualifying match.
It is being played in Spain and begins at 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 5:
Today is Grundlovsdag in Denmark, marking the 175th anniversary of the first Danish constitution. While it was signed in Nyborg when the Danish crown resided there, the celebration will take place at Landstingssalen, Christianborg. Denmark’s King Frederik X, Queen Mary, and other members of the royal family will attend.
The day long commemoration begins at Holmens Church at 8:00 a.m.
You can find out more HERE.
-
Grundlovsdag celebrations continue in Copenhagen, where a free theatre event will be held in the foyer of the Skuespilhuset. The constitution will be the focus as artists from across the Commonwealth give speeches, play music, and sing.
You can find Skuespilhuset near Sankt Annæ Plads in Copenhagen.
It begins at 5:00 p.m., and there are more details HERE.
-
It is Wednesday, and that means Wednesday Night Jazz at Tivoli in Copenhagen.
You can see who is playing and buy tickets HERE.
-
On most Wednesdays through the summer, you can join a free tour of Odense’s Skt. Knuds Kirke (Saint Canute’s Cathedral). The storied church, where Saint Canute’s bones can be seen, offers a 30-minute tour for tourists, although it is in Danish, beginning at 2:00 p.m.
More details are HERE.
-
The five day Baroque Music Festival begins in Aarhus today. It offers a mix of free and paid musical events and concerts for the discerning musical ear yearning for the sweet melodies of the 17th and 18th centuries.
It takes place at venues across the city.
You can see the full program HERE.
-
The Danish men’s national football team will take on Sweden today in a friendly match in Copenhagen.
The game will be at Parken and begins at 7:00 p.m.
You can buy tickets HERE.
Thursday, June 6:
The largest photography festival in the Nordics begins in Copenhagen today. The theme this year is ‘entanglement.’ It is also the festival’s 15th anniversary.
The festival runs until June 16. It takes place between Reffen Street Food and the international art center Copenhagen Contemporary.
You can see the full 11 day program and buy tickets HERE. Tickets get you 25% off entry to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art during the duration of the festival.
-
Over at the Danish Architecture Center (DAC) the winner of this year’s international photo competition, ‘Capture Your City’, will be announced. There were 5,000 photos submitted from across Europe. The 56 best photos can be seen in an accompanying exhibit that opens today.
The event begins at 5:00 p.m. at the DAC building at Bryghuspladsen 10 along the canal in Copenhagen.
You can find more information HERE.
-
Today marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when the allies began the massive invasion of Normandy that led to the liberation of Europe and the defeat of the Nazis. Denmark’s King Frederik X will be in Normandy to participate in the commemoration of this historic event.
-
In Aarhus, the three-day long Northside Music Festival begins today.
It takes place in Eskelunden.
You can see the full line up and buy tickets HERE.
Friday, June 7:
The Rock Under Broen (Rock Under the Bridge) music festival begins today. Taking place over two days, it features a jammed line-up led by Denmark’s own Lukas Graham.
It takes place under the Lillebæltsbro (Little Belt Bridge) in Middelfart on Fyn.
You can see the full line-up and grab tickets HERE.
-
At Denmark’s iconic amusement park Tivoli, it is time for Friday rock. This week features a double bill with Mads Langer and Svea S. The show begins at 7:00 p.m. when Svea S takes the stage, and Mads Langer follows at 10:00 p.m.
You can buy tickets HERE.
-
Over at Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus, it is Fed Fredag. Today, the Lars Lilholt Band will rock the night away.
You can learn more about the band and buy tickets HERE.
-
It is also Fredag på Toppen, with DJ Markus Vinther holding court at the Salling rooftop in Aarhus while DJ Morten Morville keeps the beats pumping at the Salling rooftop in Aalborg. In both venues, tonight’s drink deal is mojitos for 50 dkk.
You can see more information HERE.
Saturday, June 8:
The legendary rock band Journey is in Denmark for one night only. They play a show at Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus in what should be a rocking good time.
The show begins at 7:00 p.m.
You can buy tickets HERE.
-
Summer is here, and the sun is out. If you are thinking it is perfect weather to get your opera on, then you need to be in Aarhus today.
The free event begins at 3:00 p.m. at Skanseparken.
More information HERE.
-
The Danish men’s national football team will have a friendly match with Norway today,
The game takes place at Brøndby Stadium. It begins at 5:30 p.m.
You can buy tickets HERE.
-
Half a sailing race and half a party, the Sjælland Rundt begins today. Sailors and not a few tall ships will spend a week sailing around the island of Sjælland, stopping each day in a different city. This year, the finish line is in Kronborg, where food, festivities, and lots of other fun will take place.
You can learn more HERE.
Sunday, June 9:
Today is Storcykeldag (Big Bike Day) in Denmark. Local branches of Cyklistforbundet will hold events across the country today. The goal of the event is to encourage more people to use bikes to try and reverse the declining numbers of cyclists in rural Denmark.
You can learn more about it HERE (in Danish).