Kulturnatten 2023
/Kulturnatten is a major annual event when museums, galleries, churches, major historic buildings and departments of national and city government in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg open for an evening - most from 6pm through to midnight.
There will be special exhibitions, concerts or demonstrations and, at many organisations, there are tours of areas that are rarely open to the public so this is when citizens can see what happens behind the scenes.
At many of the venues there will be stalls for street food and drink and, because Kulturnatten is always on the Friday of the mid-term school holiday, many of the events are aimed at families.
This year 230 organisations or venues across the city will be participating.
Over the years I've seen mock trials in the law courts; explored the main rooms and offices of city hall; seen the work of conservators; explored behind the stage of the national theatre; wandered through the main rooms of the Treasury and watched demonstrations of horsemanship and carriage driving at the Royal Stables.
This year I'm planning to see inside the Mast Crane at the north end of the harbour; see the great steam engines at the power station at the south end of the harbour working and possibly this will be a chance to look around the Traffic Tower where the train system for this half of the country is controlled. I'm also keen to see rope making on Nyhavn and the displays at the Ministry of Climate.
Entry to all the buildings and events is with a Culture Pass - DKK110 for adults - that can be downloaded through an app or can be bought at 711 stores throughout the city. Entry for children under the age of 12 is free.
The pass gives free use of public transport within the city from 4pm through to 4am on Saturday and includes the harbour ferries and rides on a fleet of veteran buses brought out for the evening.
Every year has a distinct graphic style for publicity and posters from previous years can be seen on an online archive that goes all the way back to the poster from the first Kulturnatten in 1993.
