Is the end in sight for Distortion?

Name change, reduced free entry party zones and disassociation from guests suggest organisers have had enough of the aggro

Distortion, the country’s biggest street festival, has changed its name as part of a bid to distance itself from the huge crowds that have wreaked havoc on districts like Nørrebro and Vesterbro over the last decade.

A little over 10 years ago, the single-day attendances at the early June street parties in those two Copenhagen districts rose from 10,000 to 100,000 in the space of two years, and ever since then Distortion has been under pressure to regulate the noise and pollution they produce.

Accordingly, from 2022 until 2024, the street festival segment of Distortion will be known as Distortion X – and it sounds like the free entry part of the festival is about to get a lot smaller.

“There will still be a free City Party on the street during Distortion week – but there we will avoid the name Distortion and the associated 150 percent uninhibited atmosphere. Not because it has to be boring, but because people over 30 need to be able to endure being there,” explained Distortion organiser and founder Thomas Flerquin, who is 48.

“Then we will stick to intense music experiences on the street, inside a few demarcated music zones under the heading Distortion X … because when you behave like an animal, you are put in a cage – that’s just the way it is.”

Protestations that fall on deaf ears
Some would argue that it has been on the cards for a while. In recent years, there have been signs that the organisers have been growing weary of the mostly teenage crowds, who despite their best efforts very rarely contribute anything to the festival’s bottom line.

More paid entry zones have steadily been introduced, and efforts have been stepped up to make voluntary donations possible. 

Every year, organisers plead with party-goers to watch their behaviour, but to little avail.

Distortion has not been held since 2019 due to the pandemic. Its small summer festival, Karrusel, will take place on Refshaleøen at Disco Skoven from August 26-28

The first ever Distortion was held to raise awareness of In & Out, a Copenhagen Post supplement launched by Fleurquin in 1998. Distortion became a five-day festival in 2000, and Fleurquin went on to edit In & Out until 2008.




  • Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    In recent years, the spread of cocaine has accelerated. The drug is easily accessible and not only reserved for wealthy party heads. Copenhagen Police have just arrested ten young people and charged them with reselling cocaine

  • 5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    Here are five mistakes I made that helped me understand that belonging isn’t a strategy—it’s a practice. This isn’t a story of struggle—it’s a reflection on growth, told through the lens of emotional intelligence.

  • Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Earlier this year, the Danish government changed the law on access for people from third world countries to the Danish labor market. Yet, there may still be a shortcut that goes through universities

  • Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Queen Company, a Denmark-origin flower producer with pristine sustainability credentials, is under fire for alleged labor rights violations at its Turkish operation, located in Dikili, İzmir. Workers in the large greenhouse facility have been calling decent work conditions for weeks. The Copenhagen Post gathered testimonies from the workers to better understand the situation

  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system