Danish government announces a €67.2m safety net for major events

The Danish government has unveiled a financial safety net of €67.2m for the organisers of major events, including music festivals, super league matches and markets. With summer and the typical big event season approaching but pandemic numbers still very much fluctuating, it is crucial to provide some reassurance to organisers.

This Danish event cancellation fund is one of the latest to be announced, following in the footsteps of other countries that have already presented financial aid packages to the sector such as Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway. Joy Mogensen, Denmark’s culture minister, who last month pledged to fight for a more inclusive compensation scheme says:

‘We all hope for a summer where the infection situation allows us to gather for festivals again (…) Until then, the festival organisers can continue to plan soundly with peace of mind. With the agreement, we ensure that festivals will be compensated if they have to cancel due to restrictions.’

This financial balloon by the Danish government is aimed at organisers of recurrent events with at least 350 participants, including the ones planned before March 6. However, it will not apply to all new events born in the context of the pandemic. The scheme follows on from previous funding and will provide for eligible events scheduled to take place between May 1 and September 30, 2021, and that cancellation, postponement or significant changes are caused by the epidemiological situation of COVID-19. The full agreement, which still needs to be approved by the European Commission, includes the safety net, an emergency pool for large solidarity events facing the risk of bankruptcy, and a compensation ladder to provide organisers with estimates of what they can expect to receive.

Esben Marcher, head of Dansk Live, Denmark’s live music association, states:

‘It is positive that there is now a financial safety net for the festivals, so that the organisers can complete the preparation of this summer’s festivals. We will, of course, follow the implementation of the agreement closely. However, we still need clarification on whether there will be restrictions this summer, and which scenarios we must plan based on.’

It is important to highlight that Denmark hosts several festivals, such as Northside Festival Denmark, Copenhell, Tinderbox, Roskilde Festival and Smukfest.

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