Inside this week | Fifteen years not out!

I’ve been editor of this rag for five years now – exactly a third of the age of InOut – to the day in fact. As it is no coincidence that Distortion is taking place this coming week. The very first Distortion was organised by Thomas Fleurquin, the French founder of InOut, to celebrate our second anniversary back in 2000. That’s quite a claim to fame, which nobody ever seems to know. A bit like how this country’s most famous street festival is actually the brainchild of a Frenchman.   

So there I was with a dilemma. Either I could organise a party to celebrate my five years and revel in the embarrassment of the insincere congratulations (“Wow, five, that is a long time, I’ve got older verucas”) and bribe somebody illustrious to gush all over my achievement on the podium, or I could bite the bullet and put the publication first. 

And so it came to pass that contributors past and present were given their first opportunity since a summer gathering in 2009 to meet and network, as long as they didn’t hatch an idea to set up a rival publication that respects its freelancers.  

Last Thursday, 40 of my mob congregated for a barbecue, knees-up and a raffle, which in the end funded the whole thing, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors: Distortion, The Irish Rover, The Red Lion, Charlie Scott’s, That Theatre Company, Why Not Theatre Company, the Copenhagen Theatre Circle, Rear View Theatre, Kennedys Bar and their comedy night, and the Hard Rock Café.  

After the excitement and heat of the bank holiday weekend – or at least the 40 minutes I spent watching the carnival’s dancing queens in action – you’d think this city would want to take it easy. Or it would if it didn’t live every day of sunshine like it’s the last of the year. 

Make that day Saturday by getting your best racing clobber on (hats for the ladies of course) and joining the Irish for an afternoon trackside at Klampenborg Galopbane (free entry if you enter the Irish Rover quiz on 23 May). And then head off to Frederiksberg for w00t, an urban and board games festival that is mostly in English, and round it off at the Beer Festival (or see our special Beer Festival section).

That’s quite a day, and for a change its success rating will probably depend on how lucky you are at the beginning, not the end. 




  • Copenhagen ranked among global leaders for creative nightlife

    Copenhagen ranked among global leaders for creative nightlife

    Copenhagen just made its way to second best nightlife place in the latest Creative Footprint report made by VibeLab, beating out cities like Tokyo and New York with its numerous and accessible scenes. Behind the high score, the report also points out the city risks losing its underground spirit — unless it makes more room for community-driven, experimental venues

  • Job vacancies rise in Denmark

    Job vacancies rise in Denmark

    After a decline during 2022–2023, the number of vacancies has been increasing since 2024. However, there are still differences between geographical areas and industries

  • Danish NGOs on the edge of chaos: A reckoning long overdue

    Danish NGOs on the edge of chaos: A reckoning long overdue

    Danish international NGOs face major challenges as funding shifts and their slow, costly structures struggle to adapt. Local groups lack real control, and technology use is limited. Without clear changes, these NGOs risk losing influence and effectiveness.

  • Parliament approves exemptions to cash benefit requirements for adoptees and others 

    Parliament approves exemptions to cash benefit requirements for adoptees and others 

    Parliament exempts adoptees, children born abroad, and Danes sent abroad by the state from strict new cash benefit rules after backlash, aiming to balance fairness with employment-focused welfare reform.

  • Denmark wants international students—but can’t house them

    Denmark wants international students—but can’t house them

    More than half of international students in Denmark live in the Capital Region. While Mayor for Employment and Integration Jens Kristian Lütken describes Copenhagen as “an easy access to the Nordic life,” the city also presents significant challenges. Among them, a persistent student housing crisis that many face upon arrival

  • Tax contributions vary widely across Denmark, CEPOS study shows

    Tax contributions vary widely across Denmark, CEPOS study shows

    The liberal think-tank’s new analysis based on official register data reveals that tax payments by Denmark’s top 1 percent range from 1.2 million to nearly 20 million DKK depending on municipality and region.


  • Job vacancies rise in Denmark

    Job vacancies rise in Denmark

    After a decline during 2022–2023, the number of vacancies has been increasing since 2024. However, there are still differences between geographical areas and industries

  • Most people in Denmark find jobs through ads and networking, survey shows

    Most people in Denmark find jobs through ads and networking, survey shows

    A survey conducted on 18,000 people shows that one-third of those interviewed found a job through their personal network, the same proportion as those who found a job via job advertisements. Institutional channels, like job centers, lag behind

  • 40% of unemployed in Denmark found jobs in 2024

    40% of unemployed in Denmark found jobs in 2024

    An analysis from AE, using data from Eurostat, states that in 2024, around 40% of unemployed people found a job. For those who were long-term unemployed, the figure was 28%. It’s the best performance in Europe.