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Hot Happenings In Aalborg And North Jutland For 2010
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April 2010
Combining miles of pristine coast with the vibrancy of one of Denmark’s most dynamic regional cities, North Jutland is ‘hotting’ up with an action packed calendar of events and festivities to suit all tastes and ages of traveller.
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Playing host to events such as Scandinavia’s largest carnival in May and the magnificent Tall Ships Races in July, the city of Aalborg offers an array of lively activities to complement the region’s extensive programme of music and food festivals, historical re-enactments, exhibitions and concerts which take place throughout the year. With everything from veteran motorbike races, lobster eating festivals to Viking markets, North Jutland offers a warm welcome of surprising and fascinating events.
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Highlights from the festival calendar include:
May
Helly Hansen Skagen Race, Skagen 13 – 15 May 2010
With over 300 entries, the harbour of Skagen will come alive with sails during Ascension Day when both professional and hobby sailors take to the waters to compete in the Helly-Hansen Skagen Race. Skagen Race, Skagen 13 – 15 May 2010
Veteran motor bike enthusiasts race from Copenhagen to Skagen in a fun and somewhat different race with entries from over 200 motorbikes all manufactured before 31st December 1934. Skagen Bird Festival, Skagen, 13 – 16 May 2010
Skagen (or the Skaw) - at the very top of Denmark - is famous as the best spot in Northern Europe for observing bird migration in spring as birds travelling from their winter quarters to breeding sites in Scandinavia and northern Russia pass this way. The season lasts from March to June with hundreds of birders, including visitors from other countries, coming to enjoy the experience. Carnival in Aalborg, 24- 29 May 2010 Based around a changing theme and attracting over 100,000 people every year, Aalborg plays host to the largest carnival in Northern Europe. Joined by carnival groups from around the world for a week of culturally diverse and colourful celebrations, this year’s theme of ‘Mars and Venus’ promises an exciting spectacular of colour, costume, music, rhythm and dance. With the main carnival parade taking place on the final Saturday, the event culminates in a lively ‘Battle of Carnival Bands’, dance acts and fireworks in the Kildeparken. June
Midsummer Eve, Lindholm Høje, Wednesday 23 June 2010 In recognition of Midsummer Eve, Lindholm Høje Museum will host a traditional evening of celebration with a spectacular bonfire, speeches and singing. Days of Tordenskold, 2 Frederikshavn, 25 – 27 June 2010
Bringing to life one of the many crucial incidents of the Great Northern War (1709-1720), the ‘Days of Tordenskold’ is based around real events that took place in 1717 in Frederikshavn. With over 300 participants from historic groups throughout Denmark, Norway and Sweden, ‘Days of Tordenskiold’ offers a series of exciting events including fencing demonstrations, re-enactments, a one-hundred metre long banquet, a Fashion Show featuring the latest trends of 1717 with some seventy performers, grand three-mastered training ships from Denmark and Norway as well as authentic music and food from 1717. Viking Market, Lindholm Høje, 26 June 2010 At Lindholm Høje Museum, just outside Aalborg, visitors will find Scandinavia’s largest Viking burial ground with more than 700 graves. In celebration of its heritage, the site hosts an annual Viking Market where volunteers bring alive this ancient culture with Viking music, handicrafts and sporting events. July Løgstør’s Mussel Festival, Løgstør, 9 – 11 July 2010
Situated on Limfjorden strait that flows through North Jutland, colourful fishing village of Løgstør hosts the annual Mussel festival during July where visitors can join the locals as they tuck into mussels and other shellfish freshly plucked from the sea. The Tall Ships Races, Aalborg, 21 – 24 July 2010 Denmark’s fourth largest city, Aalborg is set to host ‘The Tall Ships’ Races’ for a third time when some of the world’s most impressive historic large sailing ships converge on the shores for four days of celebrations. Located on an old trading route by the Limfjord in North Jutland and steeped in sea-faring history, the harbour is set to receive over a hundred magnificent vessels with more than one million spectators gracing the shores.
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August
Læsø Langoustine Festival, Læsø , 7 August 2010 Serious seafood lovers head out to sea to the island of Læsø which, in addition to its heather fed lamb, heather honey, organic pork and famous Læsø salt (www.sydesalt.dk), plays host to the annual Læsø Langoustine Festival. Overflowing with langoustine and attracting over 3,000 feasting spectators, skilled and famous chefs compete to win the revered ‘Golden Langoustine Claw’ as lucky bystanders savour the results. Den Blaa Festival, Aalborg, 10 – 16 August 2010
Aalborg’s annual Blues Festival sees the city's squares and wide range of venues transformed into Blues clubs and performance spaces for a fantastic week of Blues and Jazz. Creating a very special atmosphere in the city, the programme features both Danish and international musicians.
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September The Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup, Klitmøller, 3-19 September 2010
Welcoming the best international windsurfers to its shores, Klitmøller will host the first Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup this year as part of the worldwide windsurfing world cup series. With a prize of 30,000 Euro, this is set to be a spectacular event as skilled windsurfers battle the wind and the waves to out perform the competition. October Night of Culture, Aalborg, October 2010 During the ‘Night of Culture’, the city’s cultural institutions, artists and various associations team up to give Aalborg and its visitors an opportunity to experience every aspect of the cultural life the city has to offer. Opening their doors for the night, all the major museums and exhibition halls, churches, libraries, schools, organisations and a great number of venues that are normally not open to the public are transformed into performance areas offering an enormous number of activities and events for every age and interest. Performance: John Cleese, Aalborg, Friday 22 October 2010 His “How to Finance Your Divorce Tour” has reached Aalborg, and as he puts it himself: "I'm here, my friends, because frankly I need the money". But never the less it is with out doubt going to be a fun evening, well worth your money. The performance starts at 19.30 in the Aalborg Kongres og Kulturcenter. November
Aalborg International Guitarfestival, 16-21 November 2010 Will guitarists gathering from around the world, the Aalborg International Guitarfestival features concerts and workshops from and for professional and amateur guitarists. December
Christmas Market, Ultimo November – December 2010 Described as a walk in Christmas wonderland, the Aalborg Christmas Market is a colourful spectacle of stalls, Christmas trees, lights and entertainment to charm the Yuletide spirit and delight the senses with tasty traditional Danish treats and an array of lovely gifts. Open everyday until Christmas Eve. The Arrival of Santa Claus Santa Claus arrives is Aalborg City directly from Greenland. His great ship will be put in at the quay at Aalborg Harbour at 11.00am with thousands of children and adults coming down to greet him. The Mayor of Aalborg will officially welcome Santa Claus before Santa takes the mayor for a ride in his sleigh around the city to Santa’s house at ‘Gammeltorv’. Skating Rink, Ultimo November 201 – mid March 2011 The large outdoor skating rink in C.W.Obels Square opens during December and continues through to March next year. Rent skates and enjoy the lively Christmas Market atmosphere. Getting there… Aalborg and North Jutland can be easily reached from the UK with direct flights on Norwegian Airlines. The city and surrounding area offer a good range of accommodation from international hotels to private bed and breakfast accommodation.
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