While most music festivals in our fair country revolve around partying and late-night binging, Stella Polaris prides itself on providing a relaxed outing and a sensible atmosphere. The festival is held each year on a Sunday in early August, providing people either with an excuse to leave their house on an otherwise dull Sunday and enjoy the sun (when relevant), or a nice hangover relaxation after a Saturday night on the town.
Over the last couple of years, Stella Polaris has been located in the picturesque setting of Østre Anlæg in Østerbro, but this year the event returns to the place where it first started in: Frederiksberg Park.
Founded as a one-day event in Aarhus back in 1997, the festival had its inauguration in Copenhagen in 2001 and has now become a mobile event that travels across the country, stopping in Esbjerg, Odense and Aalborg. The original Stella Polaris seems miles away from the nationwide beast it has become, having originally been a hastily thrown together event that attracted just 400 people. Now the event has the muscle to summon some of the biggest names from the tame end of electronic music, with internationally acclaimed names such as Moby and Röyksopp having stood behind the decks at the festival.
This year will be no different in regards to household names. For instance, the duo-turned-solo-project Leftfield will return from their hiatus last year to play a set. The London-based electronic band have long been a canon within the British dub scene, and should provide for a nice yet intriguing listen.
Another big British name on this year’s line-up is Rob Da Bank. Armed with his extensive knowledge of music as his two BBC radio shows prove, Rob Da Bank’s set is sure to inspire many festival-goers to wonder: “what is that massive track?”
But it’s not just international names who will grace this year’s festival, as some of Denmark’s best will pop up during the event as well. Mads Langer, for example, has prepared a set especially for Stella Polaris – although he is known more for his guitar ballads than electronic music. The Skive-born singer-songwriter is queued up to fill Frederiksberg Park with his soulful voice and raw emotional performance.
Another Danish name worth mentioning is the duo Lulu Rouge. The critically-acclaimed group is known for their characteristically gritty sounds and heavy bass. Elsewhere, DJ Static is probably better known on the hip hop scene than in the lounge, but this producer will play a set sure to be made up of groovy soul and some of the more relaxing rap songs out there.
Stella Polaris has long been a fixture of the classic Danish summer and it always delivers the goods, boasting a broad appeal that should suit the needs of most festivalgoers. There is room to party, take a picnic basket to the park, hang out with your kids or simply fall asleep on blanket in the sun, all dependent on your preference and taste in life.
Stella Polaris
Frederiksberg Park, Frederiksberg; Sun Aug 11, 12:00-21:00; free adm; www.stella-polaris.dk
