Autumn brings a multitude of festivals with it to Copenhagen. Whether you're into music festivals, food festivals or prefer to celebrate Halloween the traditional way - the Danish capital is full of surprises during autumn and caters to all tastes with some of the best festivals in the country and the Northern hemisphere.

Halloween at the Tivoli Gardens

While Halloween in general is not a big holiday in Denmark, it has significantly gained popularity in the last few years. Take your friends and family on a frightfully fun experience at one of Copenhagen’s most famous attractions, the Tivoli Gardens, for some pumpkin fun in a bewitching atmosphere.

The park celebrates Halloween from mid-October to November with enchanting decorations, Halloween-themed shops and ghoulish surprises. Ride along on The Little Ghost Train, shop for monster trinkets, watch Halloween fun in the Glass Hall Theatre and taste delicious autumn dishes across the Gardens or treat yourself to a Witch Punch. Do you dare to enter the Haunted House?

Culture Night

The ‘Kulturnatten’ is a staple in Copenhagen’s festival calendar since 1993 and one of the most popular cultural events in the city. During the annual celebrations, more than 250 cultural institutions like museums, libraries, theatres, parks, churches and ministries welcome to visitors with very special programs during the one-night festival.

Go on a cultural journey through the Danish capital and experience the city from a unique and new perspective. Learn more about the culture of the Faroe Islands at the Faroese House in Vesterbro, take an exclusive tour through the French embassy, wander through the well-lit Copenhagen ZOO in the dark or start an earthquake at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities and much more.

Tomorrow Festival

The Tomorrow Festival in August is all about sustainability. The festival takes place in Valbyparken and combines good live music with salient issues of today, dedicating itself to making the whole festival as sustainable as possible and becoming CO2-neutral. That includes climate-friendly food, preferably using recycled materials and promoting diversity in programming.

The programme consists of music as well as talks and experiences. Invited artists include Danish popstar Goss, all round artist Lydmor as well as Danish soul boys D/troit. The talks and discussions equally involve top-class acts, for example the Danish professor of climate change Sebastian Mernild, writer and musician Kristian Leth and author Niviaq Korneliussen.

Watch the Black Sun

The Black Sun, the Sort Sol, is one of the most impressive natural phenomena that can only be witnessed in Denmark every year in spring and autumn. For this special event, a million starlings from all over Scandinavia and Western Europe come together and form a massive flock blocking the sunset for around 20 minutes.

The largest gatherings occur between end of September to mid-October, right before the birds head South in search for a warmer climate. The phenomenon is best observed with a tour with the Wadden Sea Centre in Ribe on the West Coast. This area lies a few hours away from Copenhagen but is the ideal spot for a stop when visiting the capital by car.

Cider Festival

The beginning of October marks the peak of apple harvest season in Denmark, resulting in several apple festivals all over the country. Whether you choose to try the delicious local apple pie, pick your own apples in an orchard or try some Danish cider, Copenhagen offers a lot of activities revolving around the fruit.

The Israel Plads in the centre of Copenhagen turns into a true haven for Cider lovers during the Rigtig Cider – Copenhagen Cider Festival. The name translates to ‘real Cider’ and this is just what you will find here, at the biggest Cider festival of Scandinavia. 20 producers and some foreign importers present their apple wines here, making the most out of leftover apples from the harvest. The festival takes place at the end of August and guarantees you a glimpse into the new Danish cider culture and some of the finest ciders out there.