Midsummer in Copenhagen

The summer solace is no big deal back in the United States, but here, it sparked one of the largest public celebrations I have seen to date. There were bonfires being set all over the city and revelers filled the streets. It was like the entire city was having a giant party that puts the fourth of July to shame. I went to the Reffen area with a group of fellow students to take part in the celebrations and it was fantastic. The Reffen street market where everything was taking place was constructed from repurposed shipping containers which gave the whole thing a steam-punk sort of vibe. There were a dozen or so food vendors, one of which provided me with absolutely the best ravioli I have ever had, and another with the strongest sangria to touch my lips. 


The whole event was a perfect example of how a city can create a space for people that is really visually appealing and attractive, without spending a huge amount of money to construct a whole new structure. I find it also interesting to note, that with events like this, there is not a large concern with liability issues or permitting. In the US, streets would be closed down for an event that attracts thousands of people, but in a city like this where it is scaled for humans on foot or on bike to access, there is much more flexibility and fluidity with traffic patterns and access to space. Since none of the streets were closed down, it was super easy to get from bonfire to bonfire without too much hassle just by traveling via bike. The versatility of a bike in a city like this is unmatched. 

Anyways, I'll include some pictures of two of the bonfires that I watched. The one I went to in Reffen was very festival or county fair vibes, while the one I went to on the canal was a little more calm. An interesting tidbit is that the people who attended the fires were of all ages and (apparent) occupation, indicating to me that this is an all-inclusive event where one demographic doesn't need to feel like they don't belong. 


A note: both of these pictures were taken between the hours of 9:30 PM and 10:30 PM. It is absolutely insane how light it is so late. 




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