The Kulturnatten or “Culture Night” is an inclusive celebration open for all people to participate in and celebrate. Copenhagen, in general, is a tranquil place where you can comfortably lose yourself in the culture and the environment. On Kulturnatten the city turns into something more vibrant, almost as if new life is breathed into it. The purpose of this festival is to inspire people to engage with their local culture and induce a sense of community and togetherness. 

Culture Night is one of the most advantageous times for tourists. If you have ever wanted to visit a particular museum in Copenhagen but had to drop your plans because it was too pricey, cheer up! Culture Night is your best chance!

Read and discover more interesting things and find out more about the illustrious Danish culture by walking with us to learn more about this unique event.

Culture Night In Copenhagen

What is Culture Night?

Kulturnatten or Culture Night, in its essence, is to celebrate art in all forms. The city makes full use of this time to showcase the city’s cultural life to the public. It is Copenhagen’s biggest one-day event where more than 50,000 people participate. During this time, special guided tours, events, and other engaging activities are organized.

When Is Culture Night Celebrated?

Since 1993, it has been held before the start of the autumn break, on the second Friday of October every year.

Who Can Participate?

Events like live music, dance, street performances, exhibitions, workshops, tours, etc. are organized to attract people of all age groups and genders. Take it from us, the fact that we did not know the native language too well, did not put a damper on our ability to have fun and make the most out of the festival. A primary reason for it is that events are conducted in English and translators are there eager to help you if the events are in Danish. 

Culture Pass

To participate in Culture Night, you need to buy the ‘Culture Pass.’ The pass gives you access to more than 250 places including museums, theaters, libraries, churches, ministries, and parks throughout the city that are open to the public.

How & Where to Buy the Culture Pass?

The physical Culture Pass is an actual badge that can be bought at museums, libraries, or several 7 Eleven stores in Copenhagen. You also have the option to buy digital passes at https://shop.kulturnatten.dk/. 

After you successfully purchase a digital pass, you will receive an SMS and email with a link that redirects you to your Culture Pass. Remember to activate the pass before the culture night by clicking the link. You can access your pass through the link or by logging in at the official website. 

How Much Is The Culture Pass?

The culture pass costs 110 DKK and it is non-refundable. Children below 12 years of age can participate for free but, they need to be accompanied by an adult with a culture pass.

Note: A dedicated mobile application is not available for Culture Night.

Before You Go

• Buses, metro, trains, and other forms of public transport are free from Zone 1 to Zone 99 from 16:00 to 4:00.
• Remember to carry your Culture Pass. You will need to display it before entering any place.
• Culture Night starts at 18:00 and ends at 24:00. 
• Be advised, that almost all places close 30 minutes before the actual closing time.
• At popular sites, the wait time is roughly 30 to 60 mins, so be prepared to endure long queues.
• Given a lot of the actual practical constraints and the time crunch, it’s only possible to cover around 5 places. So plan, accordingly.

Twin’s Tip: Go with friends to add more sparkle to a fun-filled evening. It is a boring prospect to stand in long queues all alone.

Culture Night Areas

The culture night takes place in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. The places are grouped together to navigate easily. 

1. Indre by
2. Slotsholmen
3. Østervold
4. Frederiksstaden
5. Christianshavn/ Holmen
6. Frederiksberg
7. Islands Brygge/ Amagerbro/ Ørestad
8. Østerbro/ Nordhavn
9. Nørrebro
10. Nordvest/ Bronshøj
11. Carlsberg/ Valby/ SV

Places That are Free to Visit ONLY on Culture Night

Confused about where to go? Don’t worry! We have hand-picked and categorized some places that are worth visiting on Culture Night for free.

Even though several of these places can be visited for free on normal days like the Parliament (prior booking required), Glyptoteket (free on Tuesdays), etc, a few places like the Frederiksberg Palace and other government buildings are open to the public only on Culture Night. 

You can check the official website for a complete list of places and their precise operating hours as they tend to vary every year. 

Twin’s Tip: You should visit the places in a manner that they happen to be in the same neighborhood to ensure you make the best use of Culture Night and don’t waste too much time commuting to them.

Museums And Palaces

1. Københavns Museum (The Museum of Copenhagen)
2. Magasin du Nord Museum
3. Nationalmuseet (The National Museum of Denmark)
4. Designmuseum Danmark (The Design Museum of Denmark)
5. Amalienborgmuseet (The Amalienborg Museum)
6. Rosenborg Slot (The Rosenborg Palace)
7. Frederiksberg Slot (The Frederiksberg Palace)
8. Ruinerne under Christiansborg (The Ruins under Christiansborg)
9. SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst 
10. Frihedsmuseet (The Freedom Museum)
11. Politimuseet (The Police Museum)

Art And Architecture

1. Dansk Arkitektur Center (The Danish Architecture Center)
2. Den Kongelige Afstøbningssamling (The Royal Casting Collection)

Viewpoints

1. Marmokirken (The Marble Church)
2. Rundetaarn (The Round Tower)
3. Kulturtåarnet på Knippelsbro (The Culture Tower on Knippels Bridge)
4. Vor Frelsers Kirke (The Church of Our Saviour)
5. Københavns Rådhus (The Copenhagen City Hall)
6. Mastekranen (The Masting Crane)

Danish Defense

1. Forsvarsministeriet (The Ministry of Defence)
2. Krigsmuseet (The War Museum)
3. Ubåden Sælen (The Submarine The Seal)
4. Fregatten Peder Skram (Peder Skram Frigate)

Government Buildings

1. Københavns Byret (The Copenhagen City Court)
2. Østre Landsret (The Eastern High Court)
3. Højesteret (The Supreme Court)
4. Dansk Erhverv/Børsbygningen (The Danish Business/ Stock Exchange Building)
5. Det Kongelige Festkøkken (The Royal Feast Kitchen)
6. De Kongelige Stalde (The Royal Stables)
7. Finansministeriet (The Ministry of Finance)
8. Erhvervsministeriet (The Ministry of Business)

Concerts

1. Det Kongelige Teater – Skuespilhuset (The Playhouse)
2. Det Kongelige Teater – Gamle Scene (The Royal Danish Theatre)
3. Det Kongelige Teater – Operaen (The Copenhagen Opera House)

Others

1. DR Byen (The Danish Broadcasting Corporation)
2. FN Byen/ UN City Copenhagen
3. Zoologisk Have (Zoo)
4. Planetarium

Utilize the Culture Night opportunity to visit as many museums and other culturally affluent places for free. 

Have you heard of Culture Night before? We would be delighted to know how your experience was. Share the interesting places you visited on Culture Night in the comments section. 

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