Roskilde Festival - A Real Life Utopia

Roskilde Festival. Two words that makes me excited. A utopia of more then 80.000 people, who once a year gather on a big field, casts away who they are outside the festival, and reveals an inner primal instinct to just be happy and carefree. The only place I know of were you can walk up to a complete stranger, ask for a beer and get one - no strings attached.

Not once, have I heard anything about the police having to intervene in anything. They’re present at the site, but I’ve never heard about a single fight breaking out or criminal acts being committed. Apart from the occasional gypsy pocket thief. Imagine that, 80.000 people living so close together without anything significantly bad happening. I’m impressed every year.

The camp site parties, where literally anything can happen. The strange wonderful people you encounter from practically all over the world. The impressive homebuilt camping site sound-systems competing to be the loudest; people gathering around them dancing with each other, drinking, smoking. Waking up in a warm tent, not knowing where you are. The good workers walking around the camping site selling coffee and cookies - a most in the morning.

The music at the festival site is of course the main part of the festival, with more then 160 performances covering every genre and sub genre out there. Everything from the radio hit band to the deepest darkest underground, the possibilities to discover new bands and for new bands to break through is enormous. It’s clear to see that the bookers takes some risks with some of their bookings, and I love them for doing that. I’ve had some of my best concert experiences on that festival. A big reason for this is again the fact that no matter how drunk or stoned everyone is, they’re still friendly and considerate

Writing this, I can almost smell that sweet combination of beer, weed and piss. Can almost feel the dust in my hair. Hear the drunken swedes and the even drunker icelandic people singing in the distance.

I miss all of it. All those happy beautiful carefree people, the music, the atmosphere. Even the chaos of not finding a spot for the camp, the never moving lines for recharging cellphones, the portable toilets - I love all of it!

Roskilde Festival is getting closer and my senses are tinkling. Getting ready to awake from their slumber.

6 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes and 45 seconds to go.