June brings the onset of summer to Denmark. With more than 15 hours of sunlight a day, the month also marks a terrific opportunity for the sunscreen-covered skin to soak in some much-needed vitamin D. Summer calls upon the Danes for celebration, and of celebrations, there are numerous. Below are some of the most prevalent and eye-catching festivities. Festivities that every Dane knows, and many have taken part in. June means a blooming Denmark, in both culture and nature and so it is one of the best times of year to visit and explore Denmark.

People living in the Copenhagen neighborhood of Nørrebro have already heard it. Since 1998, the festival, which officially is a celebration of street life and new dance music, has been celebrated all over Copenhagen in the first days of summer. This year it started on the 29th of May and will continue until the 2nd of June. On the 30th of May, the streets of Nørrebro were filled with mainly younger people, dancing into the night.

With over 100.000 people attending every day, Distortion is one of the largest gatherings in Europe. Although some of the party requires a ticket, community street parties are arranged throughout the festival area. Each chosen neighborhood has a day of celebration before the festival moves on to the next part of town. If you live in Copenhagen or if you happen to be there, be sure to take a walk past the festivities. Even if you don't feel like joining the crowd, it is not often that you get to see most of Zealand's youth gathered in one place for a common celebration of music, summer, and sun.

On the 5th of June 1849, Frederik VII signed the first Danish constitution. The constitution established Denmark as a democracy. Since then, the constitution has been rewritten in both 1866 and 1915, where women's suffrage was introduced. Most recently the constitution was rewritten in 1953. The day is a celebration of Danish democracy and its evolution throughout history.

All over Denmark celebrations take place and although Grundlovsdag is not an official holiday, many workplaces turn it into a half or full day off. Many schools and shops also choose to close on this day. The celebrations include raising the Danish flag, a speech by local politician or celebrity at the square and collective singing. Denmark is one of the few countries not to have a national day, but Grundlovsdag is as close as it gets. Since 1956, the day has also been celebrated as Father's Day.

During the afternoon people meet in groups of family and/or friends and celebrate the day with food, drinks, and large smiles.

The biggest bonfires are however not in private gardens. Many municipalities all over Denmark, arrange for large stacks of sticks and branches to be burned. Traditionally one or more speeches will be held during the evening. These are called bonfire speeches (båltaler) and they usually focus on community, and common values and traditions. Thus, the speeches will often be performed by people with local cultural baggage.

Wherever you live in Denmark, there should be a Sankt Hans event relatively near you. These gatherings are the epitome of "hygge" to many Danes and they are generally very well-visited.

Although hard to pronounce for non-Danish tongues, the Folkemøde will surely be brought up in conversation with and between Danes, if it hasn't already.

Every year in June, the small town of Allinge on the island of Bornholm turns into a large celebration of Danish democracy. The festival is inspired by the Swedish counterpart "Almedalsveckan", which is held to the north-east of Bornholm on the island of Gotland. Folkemødet is a festival that seeks to diminish distance and enhance trust between citizens and decision-makers. Encouraging dialogue and cooperation between citizens, businesses, NGO's, IGO's and politicians.

Since the first Folkemøde in 2011, Folkemødet has been one of the most important democratic events in Denmark. The small port of Allinge changes its skin once a year to host a festival that has only grown larger since its inception.

Folkemødet is co-created by the association behind Folkemødet, Foreningen Folkemødet, and thousands of organizations, parties, companies etc. participating in Folkemødet.

Each year, the program offers over 2,000 events and attracts up to 65,000 visitors during the three-day festival. Folkemødet is a unique platform for open debate where decision-makers meet citizens.

There is no entry-fee at Folkemødet, and all of the events are free to participate in. The major popularity of the event has resulted in a race for the best places to stay overnight. A race that starts months in advance. If you cannot find a house to rent, there are multiple tent and "glamping" options as well. Bornholm is not a large island, so booking accommodation outside of Allinge is a viable option.

If you want to know more about how and why to participate in the Folkemøde, click the button below. The festival is mainly in Danish, so it is of course also a great way to expand your Danish vocabulary.

Every five years, the citizens of Europe will vote to decide who will become the next representatives for their respective countries in the European Parliament. In the 27 member states of the European Union elections will be held from the 6th of June to the 9th of June. But what is the European Parliament and what do the MEP's do? Below we have tried to make a short and simple run-through of the system. If you want to know more when you are done reading, click the button below the article.

The European Parliament is the EUs only directly elected institution and is one of the legislative bodies of the EU. Together with the Council of Ministers it adopts European legislation on everything from digital transformation and economy to culture and climate. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by voters in all Member States to represent people's interests regarding EU law-making and to make sure other EU institutions are working democratically. This year the number of MEPs elected will increase from 705 to 720, and the distribution of seats per country takes into account the size of the population of member states as well as the need for a minimum level of representation for European citizens from smaller countries. Although the Parliament's headquarters are officially in Strasbourg, France, in practice the Parliament works three weeks per month in Brussels, Belgium and only one week in Strasbourg.

The future 720 MEPs will work together for the next five years in Strasbourg and Brussels. The MEPs have three main tasks;

MEPs are organized in groups according to political affiliations and not nationality. There are 7 political groups each with their own name and focus. The MEPs work in two particular ways;

In Denmark, the European elections will take place on the 9th of June 2024. Anyone aged over 18 can vote, if they have residency in Denmark and hold either Danish citizenship or the citizenship of another EU country. Voters will elect 15 Members of the European Parliament, one more than in the 2019 elections.

As an EU citizen voting in Denmark, you will have to register to vote in the European elections. However, if you were already registered on the voting list of the previous European elections in Denmark in 2019, you don't need to take action, as you will be registered automatically. If you were not already registered, you will have to register with your local municipality. You can see your polling station on your poll card, which will arrive by letter no later than the 4th of June. Bring the poll card to your polling station, that speeds up the process.

Denmark's beaches are one of Europe's best-kept secrets. With 7.400 kilometres of coastline and around 1.300 registered beaches, you are spoiled for choice when the ocean calls. If you also factor in the fact that you cannot be more than 50 kilometres from sea at any time when in Denmark, you start to create a wonderful cocktail of summer enjoyment.

All dunes and beaches (and publicly owned forests) are open to roaming. This means that there are almost no private coastal zones in the country and all of the 1.300 beaches can be visited freely. In Denmark you will not need to rent a beach chair, just show up, place your towel, and enjoy. Since the 1970s Danish coastal zone laws have been in place. They state that homes must be built no less than 300 meters from the coastal edge. This was done to protect the pretty and pristine beaches and the unique nature that the natural dunes represent.

The Danish beaches are reviewed on regular basis. And although every beach offers something unique, there are larger beaches that are (inter)nationally recognized as the best. Denmark has around 240 Blue Flag beaches, which means that they have been internationally recognized as having high environmental standards, both in quality and the work being done in the area. Choosing where to go on a day out can be difficult, but fear not! The hard work has been done for you by VisitDenmark, who have made a list of the most beautiful beaches in Denmark. Check it out by clicking the button at the bottom of the article.

Beaches aren't the only option if you want to cool off in the heat of the summer sun. Harbor baths, recreational bathing facilities along the waterfront of the Danish cities, are a great supplement to the beaches. They are easier to get to, and most importantly sand won't be an issue. In 2018, the largest seawater bath in the world opened in the new Aarhus neighborhood, Docklands. Denmark's harbor baths will be staffed by lifeguards from June to September, so bring your towel, a refreshing drink and enjoy a day at the harbor. VisitDenmark have also made a guide to Denmark's harbor baths, check it out by clicking the button below.

Within many of the Danish bathing zones, the quality of the water is monitored during the summer season. Many beaches have their own websites, with the information available. An app and a website have also been made, where the status of many of Denmark's beaches are updated regularly. The website is https://www.badevand.dk/ and the app is called Bathing Water. There are alternatives to these platforms as well.

If you want to investigate ephemeral rangoli DIY sand art, art of the greeting, Brazil flower deco, art and crafts, Indonesian batik, or other cultural art forms or to make music in new ways with recycled materials, be transformed with fashion and jewelry from places you might not even have visited yet.

If you want to learn from Indonesian demonstration or enjoy samples of food and drinks from around the world and much, much more, you should visit Esbjerg on June 8th from 10:00 to 16:00, when the Main Square transforms into a multicultural playground, with everything your heart desires.

All Internationals and Danes are invited, no matter how close you live! Join Esbjerg Municipality in making this day a wonderful insight into the culture and diversity of the world. Check out all the different events and the main page of DiverCITY, by clicking the buttons below.