Quick search
Go

Become a Smith member...

Buy the book

Small, good-looking and culturally rich, the Danish capital is awash with cafés, bars and art – ideal for year-round short-haul satisfaction. For 10 days in July, though, it becomes the ultimate destination for jazzheads. Around 1,000 musicians, from heavyweight names to hotly tipped newcomers, pitch up to fill dozens of venues with bebop classics and smooth new sounds. This Scandinavian style centre has an impressive calibre of homegrown talent, and in this peak season, local luminaries play alongside international greats such as Herbie Hancock, Maceo Parker and Jan Garbarek. As well as the multitude of scheduled gigs, this musical celebration sees the jazz world’s finest getting busy in performances both planned and impromptu, in all manner of places, from the much-loved Tivoli Gardens to the local bus…

Highlights

In The Know

Head Count

Up to 200,000 jazz-lovers come here especially to attend the 850 or so concerts and gigs.

Meeting Point

Head to the Old Circus Buildings (on Rosenvængets Allé), or the Blue Bubble Fountain near the entrance of the popular amusement park Tivoli Gardens, where you can probably also catch a great open-air concert while you’re waiting (concerts are free; admission to the gardens is DKK75).

Best View

For a great overview of the city, head to the top of the 35-metre Rundetaarn (Round Tower) in the Old Town (www.rundetaarn.dk). If you’re feeling a bit more lively, try the Star Flyer ride in Tivoli Gardens, which will spin you round 80 metres up in the air. Or get a bird’s-eye view from the more sedate big wheel.

Packing Tips

A blanket for all those open-air venues. Or a nifty fold-up chair, if you want to inspire 'why didn't I think of that' mutters from around you.

Escape

The Copenhagen Harbour Public Bath on the waterside area of Islands Brygge is recommended for a cooling splash.

Dos and don'ts

• Make sure you catch a performance at the Copenhagen Opera House (www.operaen.dk), an amazing waterfront building, where many of the big names will be performing.
• Take a stroll along Strøget (starting at City Hall square), one of the world’s longest pedestrianised shopping streets, and the site of impromptu performances.
• Don’t cross the road until you see the green man. Though you’ll probably get away with it, jay-walking is illegal here.
• Give the Little Mermaid statue a miss. It’s really not worth the walk when there’s so much great stuff going on in town.

Need To Know

Children

Copenhagen is quite a child-friendly city, and there are special concerts held as part of the five-day Jazz for Kids programme in the open-air Kongens Have, or Kings Garden, the city’s oldest park.

Parking

Not great – it’s best to do as the Danish do and travel on two wheels. Bicycles can be borrowed for free, thanks to the city’s Bycyklen programme, from more than 100 racks across town. Release the lock by inserting a DKK20 coin, which you’ll get back when you relock the bike to any rack.

Disability Access

Fine in the open-air venues and larger concert halls, not so great in the smaller venues.

Food & Drink

Michelin-starred Kommandanten on Adelgade (+45 33 12 09 90) is one of Copenhagen’s fi nest restaurants. Less formal, Ida Davidsen’s lunch restaurant on Kongensgade does a mean take on traditional open sandwiches (+45 33 91 36 55). Alternatively, you can fl it from the bar to one of three restaurants at the fantastic Custom House on Havnegade (+45 33 31 01 30), a new star in the D&D restaurant empire. Finish off with a lavender martini at the cosy K Bar on Ved Stranden, famous for its cocktails (+45 33 91 92 22).

Sleep

The sultry Hotel Front near the harbour are the Smith choices. Visit www.mrandmrssmith.com for more details and to book rooms, or ring 0845 034 0701

VIP

Not applicable at this event.

More Details

www.jazzfestival.dk