NorthSide 2026 has been launched

The clouds hung low over Eskelunden on Thursday afternoon

Not with torrential clouds, as DMI had initially promised, but still with the kind of clouds that made people stand a little longer by the window at home and check the weather forecast one more time before deciding whether to put on the festival bracelet in the afternoon or first in the evening.
And it could be felt on NorthSide.

When the gates opened at 12 noon, there was plenty of space between the stalls in the square, at the beer benches and in front of the stages. The first guests walked around leisurely, looking at the food stalls, finding their first beer and getting their bearings around the square. The festival almost felt like a small town that hadn't quite decided whether to wake up yet. But that didn't last long.

Because NorthSide has its own way of waking up. With a slow hum that spreads from the beer stalls to the concert tents and further out into the square as more people find their way through the gates.
An hour later, people were already sitting in the Tuborg Beer Barn with their first draft of the day. Some were watching the sky, while others were discussing which concerts they should catch during the day. And we had really just planned to find some fries to start our lunch.
That plan turned out not to work.

The burger everyone recommended

A few minutes later we were standing at the Mikuna stand and said we weren't ready for a burger yet and just wanted fries. The people behind the counter smiled and pointed over to a table. The ones sitting over there, they said. Just try asking them.

Directly opposite were five men sitting with a large platter of burgers, and everyone agreed that Mikuna had the best burger at the festival.

Not a burger with beef. Not a burger with chicken either. But a vegetarian burger. That might not have been the answer we expected at a festival that this year has once again opened up the menu to meat after several years of a purely plant-based profile. But here at the table there was no doubt.
They had been eating the burger since 2022 and always started the festival with it.

While we were waiting for our own burger, we got into a chat with the people at Mikuna, who told us that the plant-based steak was developed in collaboration with Hørkram and consists of, among other things, broad beans, peas and sunflower seeds. They travel to some of the country's largest festivals such as NorthSide, Roskilde and Copenhell, while the rest of the year they work with plant-based solutions in public kitchens.

When the burger landed in front of us, we actually understood the five men well.

It was juicy, greasy, and just as impractical as a proper festival burger should be. Not necessarily something you'd eat wearing a white shirt or in front of a first date, but perfect on a lawn with dark clouds hanging overhead as the festival slowly finds its rhythm.

Mikuna also serves approximately 5000 burgers over the counter during the 3 days of the festival. 

Elias Rønnenfelt and Kalaset opened the music program

From inside the Nova tent we could hear the first notes long before we could see the stage. People stood with draft beers in hand, while Elias Rønnenfelt had the honor of opening the musical part of NorthSide 2026.

A little later, Kalaset took over on the Astra stage, and here we really started to feel that the day was changing gears. More people gathered in front of the stage and it slowly started to look like the festival that Aarhus has been waiting for.

Around the table

One of the places where there was already life from the start was the tent Rundt om Bordet.

In the middle of the tent stands a ping-pong table, and around it stood festival guests of all ages, their attention focused on the small white ball.
The concept is simple. Everyone runs around the table and takes turns hitting the ball. If you miss, you're out. In the end, only two are left. The prize? A bully hat, a beer ticket and glory.

It may not sound like much, but try standing in the middle of the tent and witness people cheering over a well-placed backhand shot as if it were a World Cup final. There was cheering, cheering and laughter, and it's exactly the kind of moment you don't find in the festival program, but which still ends up being something you remember.

The festival's silent heroes

A little further along the square stood another tent, which most festival guests will hopefully never need, but which nevertheless plays a much bigger role than most people think about.

At Event Medical Services we met Dennis and Kasper.

When you think of a medical tent at a festival, you might imagine a few plasters, a bag of ice cubes, and a place to sit down for a moment. The reality is something completely different.

NorthSide has chosen a health response that is more like a small emergency room than a classic first aid tent. The team consists of paramedics, nurse practitioners and healthcare professionals from hospitals, emergency departments and ambulance services around the country. They are on site from 7 days before the festival opens and stay until 3 days after it ends, with around 15 employees on duty each day.

Their people also patrol the grounds during the concerts, so that help can arrive quickly if someone needs it. Here you can't just get a Band-Aid. They can take blood tests, stitch wounds, make assessments and treat a wide range of things directly on the grounds that would otherwise have sent guests to the emergency room or required an ambulance. This not only means faster help for guests, it also means that NorthSide relieves both ambulances and emergency rooms, because many situations can be handled directly at the festival.

The most interesting thing, however, wasn't about the equipment or the skills. It was about the guests.

While other festivals experience unrest and large amounts of drugs, Dennis and Kasper experience a completely different picture at NorthSide. They say they see very few violent episodes and far fewer drug-related incidents than at many other large events. They describe the guests as friendly, polite and grateful, and it is not unusual for people to stop by just to say thank you for the effort.

When the busiest periods have to be settled, it is rarely the big dramas that take over. It is headaches, allergies, minor injuries and sore feet. In fact, blister plasters are among the items that go over the counter the fastest during the festival. People are out showing off their new shoes.

Three days, three times the glitter

In the afternoon we found the glitter stand. Under the pink fringed parasol you can get your face painted and glitter in your hair. We had decided in advance. Three days, three times glitter.

There was a queue outside the gate all afternoon. Those who had been waiting to see what the weather would do had clearly made their decision. The music could be heard from several stages at once, and the quiet start was replaced by the buzz you associate with a real festival day.
NorthSide has woken up. The first day is underway and the mood bodes well for the next two days of the festival.