It’s Christmas time and you can just feel the festive spirit overtaking the streets of Copenhagen. That means there are plenty of ways to celebrate in the capital – whatever your age. Discover what to do with friends and family in the coming days: from experiencing Christmas music performances to making your own Christmas tree!
Spanish Christmas
Dec 24, 17:30; Restaurant Pintxos, Nansensgade 63, Cph K; 495kr
If you don’t feel like cooking and you want to spice up your Christmas with some Spanish flavour – you should head to Pinxtos. You can cosy up with your friends or family while enjoying a four-course Spanish-inspired meal. You’ll start your evening with some great cava, followed by grilled beef tournedos with mushroom sauce and truffle slices, and then finish the night with a tasty chocolate mousse.
Danish Christmas dinner
Dec 24, 18:30; Hereford Village, Frederiksberggade 21, 1 sal, Cph K; 625kr (250kr deposit per table)
The restaurant on Copenhagen’s main shopping street offers a real treat for lovers of the traditional Danish Christmas dinner! The event starts at 18:00 and includes a classic three-course Christmas meal. It begins with a glass of mulled
wine, followed by roasted pork and delicious potatoes, and then finished off with homemade rice pudding. Be sure to book your table in advance, as reservations are necessary.
T’was the night before Christmas
Dec 5, 19:00; Lyngby Kulturhus, Klampenborgvej 215, Lyngby; 150kr, under-13s: 75kr, ticketmaster.dk
If you find yourself at Lyngby Kulturhus on December 3, you will hear a lovely mix of Christmas music performed by the Suoni Ensemble, the Suoni Chorus and the Copenhagen International Children’s Choir. The performance will include both new and familiar pieces, including fresh adaptations of old favourites.
Christmas with the Harlem Voices
Dec 12, 20:00-22:00; Sankt Jakobs Kirke, Østerbrogade, Cph Ø; 295kr, billeto.dk
If you want to experience a funky gospel performance this holiday season, then the Harlem Voices’ show is a performance you shouldn’t miss. The ensemble are known for their swing-beats, R’n’B, moving choreography and glorious vocals. During their performance, you can clap, stomp and dance along with them.
Christmas Acroyoga
Dec 7, 19:15-20:45; Skolen ved Bülowsvej, building D, basement, Fuglevangsvej 5; free adm
Would you like to be more active during this holiday season and try something new? Well now you can, with this free intro class to Christmas Acroyoga to see if it is something for you! Acroyoga combines the power of acrobatics with the asanas of yoga. The event is open to everyone, and you can join whether you have experience or not.
Red Cross Christmas
Sign up before Dec 23 at rodekors.dk/jul/julevenner
Share this Christmas with someone special by joining the Red Cross’s scheme whereby Christmas hosts with extra places around the table are paired with people who have nowhere to go. You can sign up at their website as either a host or a guest. The Red Cross will then contact you no later than December 23 to tell you who you’ve been paired with. Sign up and spread the joy!
Copenhagen Christmas Tour
Nov 27, 15:00-17:00; Pop-up Tours, Kongens Nytorv Metro, Cph K; 100kr per person
If you’ve always wanted to learn more about the city, you should hop on the tour around the illuminated old city of Copenhagen. You will learn about Danish Christmas traditions and hear many stories, from the one about the Christmas rose to tales of mythological creatures called ‘nisser’.
DIY Christmas trees
Nov 28-Dec 20, open Sat & Sun; Ryegaard og Trudsholm Godser, Munkholmvej 380, Rye, Kirke Såby; carriage rides 30kr per person, trees priced by size; ryegaard.dk
You want a little break from the city? Then you should visit Ryegaard, located just 35 minutes away from Copenhagen by train. You can experience the holiday spirit by taking a horse carriage ride through the woods. You will also have an opportunity to find your perfect Christmas tree and take it home with you! Later on, you can warm yourself up with some gløgg and æbleskiver at the park.
Irish Christmas Open every day of Christmas, including late on Dec 24 & 25, kitchen open until 22:00; Irish Rover, Vimmelskaftet 46, Cph K; theirishrover.dk This Irish pub opens its doors on Christmas Eve and Day, offering a festive three-course menu for 259kr a head. Start with the winter vegetable soup, and for the main course you can choose between roasted turkey, cod, pasta or chicken salad and you then finish the night with a warm apple pie.
Christmas minus Xmas
Dec 24-25; Den Grå Hal (The Grey Hall), Christiania, Refeshalevej 2, Cph K
If a traditional Christmas is not your thing, enjoy an artistic and quirky Christmas-less Christmas instead! The Grey Hall serves up a wonderful meal and it’s the place to go if dinner with the family (or lack thereof) is too hard a thought to handle. Celebrations are held over the 24th and 25th. No entry fee is required and the food is also free, but donations are gladly welcomed.
Anglican Christmas
Dec 24, 12:00 & 23:30, Dec 25, 10:30; St Alban’s Church, Churchillparken 11, Cph K; st-albans.dk You can join St Alban’s Church to celebrate Christmas Eve at its Children’s Carol and Nativity Service at 12:00 or the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at 23:30. On the 25th, they celebrate with a Christmas Day Sung Eucharist starting at 10:30. All services are held in English. Catholic Christmas Sankt Ansgars Church, Bregade 64, Cph K; 24 Dec at 16:00, 24 Dec midnight mass at 23:30, 25 Dec at 11:00; sanktansgar.dk The oldest Roman Catholic church in Copenhagen celebrates Christmas Eve with a mass on the 24th starting at 16:00, mostly intended for children and their families. The Pontifical Mass starts the same day at 23:30, including a special piece of music before the service.
Russian Orthodox Christmas
services on Dec 28 & 29 and Jan 1 & 6; Bredgade 53, Cph K; ruskirke.dk
The distinctive Alexander Nevskij church in the heart of Copenhagen will celebrate the birth of Jesus from December 28 to January 6. The services are offered in Slavic languages and Danish. Multicultural Christmas Dec 24, 13:30-15:00; Copenhagen Christian Centre, Drejervej 11-21, Cph NV; copenhagenchristiancenter.dk The Copenhagen Christian Centre will hold its annual Christmas Eve Service for the whole family. You can join for snacks and hygge, and stay for the Christmas service afterwards, where you can sing together with the congregation!
Home deliveries
Nemlig.com Sourcing special ingredients for a Christmas meal can be hard, and in the old days, no table was complete without a backstreet forage in the likes of Vesterbro or Hellerup in your quest for all the trimmings. Fortunately these days, you don’t even need to leave the couch. Just visit Nemlig.com and peruse its 7,300-plus items. Every year in November they expand their range to accommodate Christmas, and they also include a wide range of vegan, gluten-free, organic and locally-produced products, as well as having collaborations with many of the best specialty shops in Denmark.
TGI Fridays
Højbro Plads 5-7, Cph K; open daily 11:00-24:00; children’s menu: 59kr (main and soda), milkshakes 59kr, smoothies 49kr; tgifridays.dk From November 21 onwards, take advantage of the TGI Fridays Christmas menu, which offers a welcome drink, soft drink refills, an appetiser, a main, a dessert and hot beverage all for 400 kroner. And on Black Friday (Nov 25), the kitchen will be open until 23:00 for the late-night shoppers on Strøget.
Christmas turkeys
Lillevangsvej 6, Søsum, Veksø; 2063 6733, persgriseri@gmail.com; pers-griseri.dk
This butcher is located about 20km northwest of Copenhagen, slightly beyond Ballerup, but we’re reliably informed that Per’s Griseri is the best place to source free-range, organic turkeys should you be making one this Christmas. However, tracking Per down is no easy feat. If he’s home, he’s open, but as his website says, when you travel there you “tag chancen”. Simon Longhurst, the British owner of fishmongers Fisk & Færdigt (HC Ørsteds Vej 37B, Frederiksberg, info@simon-fisk.dk) who many of our readers might know as ‘The Codfather’, had no hesitation in recommending Griseri, but warned that customers will need to attend one of his one-day markets to snap one up. An 8 kilo turkey will set you back 1,024 kroner.
Palae Bar
Dec 24, 12:00-14:00; Ny Adelgade 5, Cph K; free adm Enjoy swinging jazz notes at Palae Bar, where their Christmas Jazz fixture will makes sure that you feel truly festive this holiday season.
