#RoskildeFestival25: Pop, Pulse & Nighttime Bass
Blending five-star breakfasts with festival chaos, this Roskilde Festival dispatch spans luxury mornings at Sonnerupgaard Manor and evenings of pop brilliance and bass-heavy bliss.
It might seem paradoxical—almost absurd—to attend one of the world’s largest music festivals and then retreat 16 kilometers away to sleep and enjoy breakfast at a luxurious manor.
But I’ve grown to love combining the best of multiple worlds. This is my second time doing exactly that. I still adore camping, but this is my 22nd Roskilde Festival, and as the years go by, I’m happy to admit that the promise of a good bed, a calm night, and a peaceful morning at my own pace is an alluring alternative.
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Morning Mist over Sonnerupgaard
That this is even possible is thanks to a friendship I’ve developed with the owner of Sonnerupgaard Manor—a grand estate surrounded by rolling countryside west of Copenhagen. My fascination with this magnificent place inspired me in 2023 to document two contrasting worlds in one report, each with their own singular beauty. That dual feature was published in POV International.
AMG Presents Moonboots
This year, I’m back as a festival volunteer—for the 20th time. I usually attend as press, but this time I missed the accreditation deadline, so Plan B it is: volunteer duty once more, this time in Backstage Village. It’s a lovely and lively zone—more on that later. My first shift ran today from 10 AM to 6 PM. Tomorrow I’m off. Then back on Friday and Saturday.
Naturally, this setup means missing a few shows. But the feeling of contributing to the festival’s greater functionality—helping guests, doing meaningful tasks, and being part of a loyal team of volunteers—still motivates and enriches me.
Highlights from the Stage
Annika on the Orange Stage: A stylish, confident, and deeply compelling way to kick off the festival—on Roskilde’s most iconic stage, no less, in front of an estimated 80,000 people. Annika, only 20 years old, emerged in 2024 as a sudden, wild bolt from the blue sky of Nordic pop.
Unfortunately, a main fuse blew in one of the speaker towers mid-set, leading to a 20-minute pause. But Annika returned with grace and a huge smile, radiating a blend of humility and pride that matched her words.
Her lyrics explore the tensions and magnetism of love with a personal touch, steering clear of clichés. Her voice balances raw huskiness with emotion in a way that’s deeply compelling.
The performance was highly convincing, with the crowd singing and dancing their bottled-up anticipation into euphoric release.
Charli XCX on the Orange Stage
Elegant, bold, innovative, and experimental—Charli XCX brought a blend of dance-pop, electropop, and hyperpop to the Orange Stage. On tracks like “Guess”—originally a duet with Billie Eilish—she’s downright naughty, with no euphemisms when it comes to sexual imagery.
Eilish wasn’t there (she’s on her own European tour), but Charli delivered the song with all the sass and daring the arrangement demands.
Apollo’s Magical Night Sky
I. Jordan at Apollo, the final set of the night: a lone figure behind a synthesizer, weaving trance that leaned ambient and ethereal rather than power-charged. Floating female vocals drifted over deep, insistent bass ostinatos.
Clearly inspired by Fred Again. Not quite the same production polish or emotional precision as David Guetta, whose dark universes tug both soul and body into synchronized motion. But I. Jordan was still a memorable experience—and the Apollo stage is magic: shaped like a four-winged barn beneath the open sky, always lit with breathtaking visuals.
Last year, my very final concert was Perturbator on this same stage—gripping and cinematic, with basslines like stampeding elephants racing across a savannah.
Tragedy and Bedouin Wanderings
A somber postscript to the festival’s first day: Tragically, a 17-year-old boy drowned in one of the lakes near the festival grounds. Though technically just outside the perimeter, the lake is one of the area’s largest and most visited. The teen was a festival guest.
Police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. Regardless of the details, the incident casts a shadow over the festival’s otherwise vibrant opening.
One walks a lot at Roskilde. According to my app, I clocked 25,063 steps between morning and 4 AM.
