With their new music stage, Tivoli Friheden has given the people of Aarhus the opportunity to get into the festival mood for Fed Friday all summer

Photographer: Wyrle studio

"Tonight, Aarhus is the navel of the world".

The quote could not have been said more perfectly from Tina Dickow when she entered the new stage at Tivoli Friheden on Friday.

To the tune of "You can't take the girl out of Aarhus", Tina Dickow brought us all together in a shared experience with presence and pride. Despite the fact that the clouds had taken over the sky and there were only a few drops, both guests and staff in Friheden were beaming. Because last Friday, thousands of people celebrated Tivoli's new big music stage, which in the future will create fantastic experiences and memories for many Aarhus residents and guests from outside.

10 years of planning became a reality on Friday evening

The old music scene has needed an upgrade for many years and because Tivoli cannot expand the area due to Havreballe forest, a more creative solution was needed. Because how do you create a more modern stage area with space for 17.000 concert guests, without spoiling the overall experience in the park? This is done by draining one of the lakes behind the old stage and creating something reminiscent of an island, which you can reach by crossing one of the five footbridges.

A world of festivals

And even though the area has been well integrated into the rest of Friheden, it still feels a bit like stepping into another world when you cross one of the bridges.

Everyone who at some point in our lives has been to Smukfest, will undoubtedly feel the festival atmosphere just as silently flowing through the body with every dirt you enter the square. Because here, with the tall green trees from Havreballe forest, which beautifully encircle the square, Tivoli Friheden has created a completely unique oasis, where every Friday you can take a breather from everyday life and enjoy the day in the company of friends and family.

An experience in Friheden

The Fed Friday concerts start every Friday at 20. In order to get as much festival experience as possible, it is a good idea to enter the park a few hours before. Pack your bag with a blanket and a few pillows and throw yourself on the big lawn in front of the stage. Enjoy dinner with take away from one of the restaurants and cold draft beer in the glass.

If you prefer to lie sprawled out in a sun lounger and sip a drink from the gin bar while listening to an intimate concert, then there is also an option for that. And should you fancy an ice cream for dessert between drinks and draft beer, just stroll up to the new ice cream stand with Ben & Jerry's.

Friheden's director Henrik Ragborg Olesen with his wife Hanne Fynbo.

A proud director

It was not only Friheden's director Henrik Ragborg Olesen who had been looking forward to the year's first Fat Friday concert on the new stage. Everyone who has been following the press and on Tivoli's Facebook has been wondering if digging cows were still driving around the square on Friday evening with soil and building material. So even if you might not have been a huge fan of the evening's artist, you still went to Tivoli for the experience of the opening of Denmark's best outdoor stage.

And it was also with an almost shiver in my body when the season ticket was shown at the entrance, because could Tivoli and the stage live up to the high expectations?

Concert at Green Square at 18.

Uncover Music brings the appetizer to Friheden's guests for Fat Friday

Shortly after the entrance at Det Grønne Torv, the live music already began to flow into Friheden and you were captivated by the intimate environment that was at the small set up stage. Here friends, couples and families with children can sit and enjoy the songs from an upcoming artist. Kris Herman, who is behind the online platform Uncover Music and who is the brainchild of the two intimate concerts that are played every Friday on Torvet and in the gin bar, put up the smiles for an interview.

Because Kris has a long history with Tivoli Friheden, where he has played support for the bigger artists and helped out as a presenter, it was obvious that a collaboration with Uncover Music and Friheden should be put into practice. Here, Uncover Music can contribute to a completely unique musical experience for Friheden's guests before the big concert starts.

Interview with Kris Herman from Uncover Music.

I asked Kris what it means to be greeted with two intimate concerts before the big concert on the new stage. Kris Herman, who has had Fat Friday in his life since 2011, bursts out "Here we contribute to an experience for all guests. There are those who have been here all day building up to the concert. Tivoli is, as it should be, a jumble of colours, fun and trouble. Here it disappears for a moment and then you sit down and experience some culture while enjoying a draft beer or something to eat. So there are those who come out to Fat Friday for a musical afternoon and evening. Here they can prolong the experience, with smaller appetizers towards the evening.”

For Kris, it is important that it is precisely original music and not cover music that is played on the smaller stages. "Here, it is not the guests' nostalgic memories that we have to draw on. But a unique experience here and now, which you can take with you regardless of whether you have listened for 5 minutes or 30 minutes. Because here we can sit and enjoy the tunes of a new artist, while roller coasters and free fall are forgotten for a short moment."

Concert at the Gin bar at 19.

A tradition in a new packaging

After listening to Cindy Chiche, who played at Det Grønne Torv and having dinner at one of the restaurants, it was with some tension in the body that the tour went over to the new stage area. Because what could be expected and was everything ready for the grand opening? Even before you enter the stage area, you notice all the details behind Friheden's vision of bringing Friday's festival to Aarhus. From the new bright wooden stalls selling drinks, beer and sausages to the large green lawn, which is divided into areas and with seating on both sides up by the stage.

To the three roof terraces that have been built on top of the new toilets, where you can go up for an extra fee and get a panoramic view of the area. Guests who laugh and talk while they wait for the music and enjoy that it is spring again and they can keep the tradition alive with Fat Friday in Tivoli Friheden.

End the concert at Hermans

There is no mistaking the joy and experience of the many guests when the music starts, the audience singing along and finally when dusk begins to descend over the trees and the lights from the 4000 diodes at the top of the stage, which now really comes into its own in the dark.

If you are not completely satisfied with the musical experience after the concert, then there is no reason to head down to the city. Back over one of the bridges and to Hermans, where the sound of the evening's DJ fills the premises. Here you can sit at the bar or use up the last energy on the dance floor before heading home. As Kris Herman quite rightly tells "The experience in Hermans can help make the day complete, so that when you come home and lie down on the pillow, you go to bed with a smile and wake up the next day completely satisfied with yesterday's cultural experience."

Want to know when the next big party hits the park?

So we have put together a complete overview of Fat Friday program right here, where you will also find tips for dining and tickets.

What is Discover Music?

Uncover Music is an online platform with 1250 artists that you, as an organizer, can book for an event. Kris explains about the concept "You can become a small fish in a big tank as an upcoming artist. With Uncover Music, you can stay in Brande, play in the local bank or local cultural center while building your career. On the platform, it is easy for the organizers to have an overview of the various artists. For some events, you may be looking for a less experienced name for DKK 1.500, and when you have to hold a city party, you can book something that is more experienced and at a slightly higher price. That's why there must also be room for everyone at Uncover Music".