Man dies of overdose at Roskilde Festival

Police warn that dangerous drugs are circulating at the festival following the death of a 20-year-old Swedish man

Less than two days into this year's Roskilde Festival, tragedy has already struck.

A 20-year-old Swedish man was found dead of an apparent drug overdose in the early hours of Monday monday at one of the festival’s camping areas.

“We are regarding it as a tragic death due to drugs,” Lene Madsen, a communications official with Mid and West Zealand Police, told Ekstra Bladet tabloid. Madsen said that no foul play was suspected. Police at this point are not releasing any information about which drugs the young man may have been taking and are continuing to investigate the case.

According to police, numerous other festival guests had to be admitted to the hospital after taking drugs. Police are now warning that dangerous drugs may be circulating the festival grounds.

"There is a risk of contaminated drugs," Madsen told Politiken newspaper. "Therefore, we advise everyone against using narcotics."

This is not the first time that the Roskilde Festival has been marred by a tragic incident.

Last year, a 25-year-old German woman died after falling from a 31-metre zipline tower. She apparently scaled the security fence while the zipline was closed due to bad weather, then proceeded to climb naked to the top of the tower before falling to her death. And according to Politiken, a Norwegian man died from drugs at the 2010 festival.

The 2012 Roskilde Festival began its warm-up festivities on Saturday. The official programme begins on Thursday.

NOTE: This story was updated at 10:15am

TOP STORIES

  • “No one seems to stand up for internationals”

    “No one seems to stand up for internationals”

    “To some extent, Denmark is not fair to internationals.” Nichlas Walsted, 34 years old, is the CEO of Swap Language, a provider of Danish lessons to more than 10,000 internationals. Tens of thousands of people follow him, and he advocates for internationals: “Because no one else does. I can’t think of a single politician or well-known person in Denmark who stands up for them,” he says.

  • Busy Copenhagen Airport nets a nice profit for the Danish State

    Busy Copenhagen Airport nets a nice profit for the Danish State

    Almost 30 million passengers travelled to or from Copenhagen Airport in 2024. The profit was 1.4 billion DKK and both figures are expected to grow in 2025. Expansions continue, and investments are being made in continued progress

  • Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen is ranked as the fourth-best city in the world for career growth, according to an analysis by EnjoyTravel. This ranking considers various factors such as living costs, salary levels, workforce availability, and overall quality of life. Copenhagen is noted for its blend of historical and modern elements, particularly in the green energy sector, which influences job opportunities.

  • Greenlandic election seen as positive by experts

    Greenlandic election seen as positive by experts

    Last night’s Greenlandic election resulted in a surprising landslide victory for the moderate party Demokraatit, who won 30 percent of the votes – a 20 percent rise for the party since the last election.

  • Greenland moves to the right

    Greenland moves to the right

    A very surprising election gives victory to the right-wing opposition party Demokraatit. The incumbent center-left coalition loses spectacularly. Greenland – and Denmark – anxiously await upcoming government negotiations

  • Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Copenhagen Capacity has launched a survey for all internationals living in Denmark to find out if they are happy here and what challenges they face. The Copenhagen Post is the media partner for this initiative. You can find the survey below in the article.

Connect club

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

Sign up here

Career

  • Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen is ranked as the fourth-best city in the world for career growth, according to an analysis by EnjoyTravel. This ranking considers various factors such as living costs, salary levels, workforce availability, and overall quality of life. Copenhagen is noted for its blend of historical and modern elements, particularly in the green energy sector, which influences job opportunities.

  • Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    A study reveals how only the massive influx of non-Western immigrants has saved many areas in Denmark from a decline in the workforce and a consequently shrinking economy

  • Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    An analysis from the Labour Movement’s Business Council shows that the rate in long-term unemployment for non-Western immigrants is 1.8 times higher than for Danes. In other words, a chronic unemployment situation is way more probable for non-Western internationals.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs