A week at Tivoli Friheden across generations

Photographer: Wyrle studio

For many families in Aarhus, Tivoli Friheden has helped to create wonderful memories and wonderful traditions over the years. Many couples, girlfriends and friends have gathered for the Fat Friday concerts, where they have contributed to a wonderful atmosphere while listening to good music.

Children who have been let loose among the many rides that have to be tried both 1, 2 and 3 times, while parents try to keep up behind and just catch their breath when the carousel is in full swing. In Tivoli Friheden there are plenty of activities for children and teenagers, as befits a fairground, but Friheden is so much more than that and if you have a season ticket, you are guaranteed experiences for all age groups all year round.

In addition to the larger events such as the Flower Festival, Halloween and Christmas in Friheden, which have become a firm tradition in Friheden, there is plenty of entertainment for the whole family. From the very young to the older generation.

Season tickets for all ages

To find out how much value we really get for a season ticket, we took a whole random week out of the calendar and visited Friheden for the events they had on the programme.

Here we sang together around the bonfire for Saint Hans, sang along to Scarlet Pleasure for Fat Friday together with the town's newly hatched students. Enjoy our beloved Birthe Kjær, who took us through the last 50 years of music on a Saturday evening. And stopped by the big grills at Swan Lake on a sunny Sunday afternoon for home-grilled sausages and delicious steaks.

Saint Hans for the family in Friheden

Every year, when we celebrate St. Hans on June 23, families gather around the fire for singing and fellowship. Around Aarhus you can take part in the pleasant event and Tivoli Friheden is no exception. Here, families gather around Swan Lake to sing together and, according to tradition, we were all welcomed by director Henrik Ragborg Olesen. After this, it was the turn of Aarhus Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard to deliver the annual speech.

The mayor has given the speech to Saint Hans in Friheden for the past 10 years and for him it is always a very special event to stand here on Saint Hans' evening.

Interview with Aarhus Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard.

Freedom binds Aarhus together

As Jacob Bundsgaard says when we catch him just before the speech to hear why Tivoli Friheden "I thought it had become a really good tradition, which I like very much, because I thought that Tivoli Friheden represents some of what helps to bind Aarhus together. After all, all sorts of different people who come out here.”

When asked if our Mayor himself comes to Friheden when he takes time off, the answer was a clear one "Yes I do. After all, I also have a son who works out here, so we have a connection to the place.”

Hardinger Band St. Hans Eve.

Perfect end to Sankt Hans

After a successful bonfire had burned out, the tour went in front of the new main stage, where the Hardinger Band entertained with the well-known Shubidua numbers and the group singing continued among the guests, as the concert was finally concluded by Midsummer Song.

Happy Friday for the young people with a Danish success band

Already the day after Saint Hans, the whole of Friheden was filled with happy students celebrating that the exam was finally over. Here, Scarlet Pleasure was ready to fill up the park with Friday's atmosphere and good music. In particular, the now iconic "What a life" almost lifted the crown of the surrounding beech trees, as the many students sang along while their hats were swung in time.

I caught up with some of the guests, all in their mid-20s who had made the trip out for Fat Friday, and asked what they were using their season tickets for. "We use our season tickets for the concerts that are out here and go to many different concerts." We are both leaving tonight and going to Birthe Kjær tomorrow.”

On a somewhat puzzling question about why young people in their 20s go to a Birthe Kjær concert, they all agreed "You have to take advantage of the fact that you have a season ticket and then it really doesn't matter who comes and plays. In relation to our youth, it might not be the music that we ourselves listen to. But we grew up with it through our parents, so you know all the songs. In our group of friends, they pretty much all have season tickets, because it pays off with all the concerts that are out here.

Saturday concert with Birthe Kjær

Two days of concerts on the new stage were followed by our all-member Birthe Kjær, who took the stage on Saturday evening and who took the audience on a journey through her entire career going back to 1968. Here, the majority of the guests present were somewhat older than the concert guests on Friday and then of course the three 20-year-olds we met the day before. As always, Birthe Kjær created a festive atmosphere with songs that we could all sing along to. Young and old.

The three-day events are a perfect example of how a season ticket can be combined with a day trip to the amusements together with the family and concert experiences in the evening, across generations.

Barbecue Sunday at Swan Lake

If you still haven't had enough experiences in Friheden, then Sunday is an obvious day to run through the season ticket at the entrance and take a tow truck down to the barbecue area by Swan Lake. Here you can consume drinks and food that you have brought with you, which you can grill at the large outdoor grills set up around the lake.

Let the children take a trip around Friheden with rides while the food is being prepared and a cold glass of wine is enjoyed. Sit down and enjoy the delicious steaks that have just been taken off the grill, with a view over Swan Lake and the sound of carousels in the background. And then end the week by trying a few of the rides before the trip goes home again.

Create traditions together

Tivoli Friheden in Århus is an experience across generations and there are activities for all age groups many days of the week. If you don't have small children in the family, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy a good day and evening in the park.

As Jacob Bundsgaard so rightly says, Freedom is a big part of Aarhus culture, where we as Aarhusians can create traditions together.