Århus Festival

Århus Festival

Nine days beginning first Saturday in September

Since 1965 the Danish city of Århus has been the site of a nine-day festival whose cultural and sporting events run the gamut from opera to fishing competitions. Queen Margrethe II traditionally gives the opening speech, followed by a performance by the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Festival events include jazz, classical, and rock concerts, a cross-country race, public debates, children's programs, poetry readings, and theatrical productions. The New York City Ballet and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre have performed there, as have the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and such world-renowned soloists as Isaac Stern, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Boris Christoff, and Claudio Arrau.
The program varies from year to year, but the events are always held in a variety of indoor and outdoor sites throughout the city, including the ürhus Theater, an art nouveau building from the turn of the 20th century; the new ürhus Concert Hall, built in 1981; and the area's many parks, churches, and coffee shops. ürhus is also the site of Marselisborg Castle, the Danish royal family's summer residence.

CONTACTS:
Aarhus Festuge
Officersbygningen
Vester Alle 3
Arhus C, DK-8000 Denmark
45-87-30-83-00; fax: 45-87-30-83-19
www.aarhusfestuge.dk

SOURCES:
GdWrldFest-1985, p. 71
MusFestEurBrit-1980, p. 37

Celebration days:
2011: Sep 3 - Sep 11
2012: Sep 1 - Sep 9
2013: Sep 7 - Sep 15
2014: Sep 6 - Sep 14
2015: Sep 5 - Sep 13