Known throughout Europe for their vibrant festivals and celebrations, Denmark�s regional cities of Aalborg, Aarhus and Odense host a fantastic range of diverse and entertaining events to keep visitors entertained all year long.

Covering everything from international Jazz festivals to Opera, traditional Viking celebrations and re-enactments, the largest carnival in Northern Europe, arts & crafts and spectacular Christmas markets, there are plenty of great reasons to visit any of the three cities at any time throughout the year.

Highlights from the festival calendar include:

AARHUS

DIALOG09, events throughout the year DIALOG09 marks the centenary of the national exhibition in Aarhus 1909 and will be the centre of events and activities in Aarhus this year. DIALOG09�s themes cover cultural experiences; development in new ways of thinking; networking and contacts between people, organisations and companies; impressions from the outside world; and dialog between people with different opinions. In short: dialog in every sense of the word. www.dialog09.dk DIALOG09 events include:

Sculpture by the Sea, 5 - 28 June 2009 Sculpture by the Sea is part of Dialog 09. Aarhus will showcase a free exhibition of approximately 50 - 55 sculptures from around the world, staged on the public lawns, beach and forests bordering the Aarhus bay. Inspired by and under the patronage of TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, the world-famous sculpture festival 'Sculpture by the Sea' takes place for the first time outside Australia. www.dialog09.dk

Africa Now - West African culture week in �rhus, 14 - 23 August 2009 In partnership with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and under the patronage of the Danish Foreign Minister and Senegalese musician and activist Youssou N'Dour, the West Africa festival will be one of the highlights for DIALOG09. www.dialog09.dk

Grand finale of the DIALOG09, November 2009 Details to be confirmed. www.dialog09.dk/idd151.asp

150th anniversary at ARoS, 6 January � 15 March 2009 In celebration of the Aarhus Art Museum opening to the public in 1859, the museum will be hosting a number of special events, including some of the Museum�s earliest acquisitions, together with The Royal Collection from Christiansborg Castle, which were showcased when the museum was first opened 150 years ago, as part of the old Town Hall. www.aros.dk/page.asp?objectid=443&zcs=2

Ultimo, Den Gamle By - May 2009 The historic 5-star attraction, Den Gamle By (The Old Town), celebrates its 100th birthday during May 2009, with activities yet to be confirmed. www.dengamleby.dk/english.htm

3 Stars of the Opera in One Weekend 15 - 17 May 2009 Opera fans can enjoy three unique concerts featuring Roberto Alagna, Cecilia Bartolis, and Bo Skovhus in Symphony Auditorium at the Concert Hall in Aarhus.

Live Pictures of the World in the Aarhus City Centre, 4 June 2009 'Live Pictures of the World' is an annual festival in the city centre of Aarhus that has a changing theme each year. With music as a focal point, the city lays on show-stopping performances of live pictures from around the world. Shops are also open to Midnight.

SPOT Festival, 21- 23 May 2009 The overall aim of the SPOT Festival is to support and promote great music and upcoming bands and artists on the national as well as international scene. Each year more than 700 bands apply for participation in the festival. The music is performed on 8 different stages in and around the Musikhuset Aarhus. www.spotfestival.dk

European Veterans Athletics Championships Non Stadia, 29 May � 31 May 2009 Playing host to veteran athletes from all over Europe, this event will take place at the Brabrand Lake and the Marselisborg Memorial Park.

Medieval Market, July 2009, Saturday & Sunday On each weekend in July a Medieval market place will be created and filled with stalls and booths where it will be possible to meet craftsmen at work, get an insight into life as it was in medieval times and pick up some great bargains. Activities will include demonstrations of medieval fighting, music and craftsmanship, as well as the opportunity to attend a soldiers' training school, meet a knight and a jester and sample medieval food, mead and beer. Great medieval fun and games for all the family!

Aarhus International Jazz Festival, 11 - 18 July 2009 Summer in Aarhus is not really summer without the Aarhus International Jazz Festival. Now in its 21st year, the 2009 programme will showcase around 200 concerts over eight days and cover a wealth of different jazz artists and varieties. Featuring everything from international stars and traditional Dixieland jazz to young local jazz musicians, electronic experimentation, world music and popular Danish singers, Aarhus will resonate jazz. The festival includes a number of free events with performances taking place at music venues, as well as street corners and squares, all over town. www.jazzfest.dk

Football Festival Denmark, 21 � 26 July 2009 Some 150 teams from countries all over the world will take part in this footballing extravaganza in Aarhus. From morning till night, the green pitches at the various event venues will be filled with enthusiastic football-playing children and teenagers aged from 8 to 19.

Moesg�rd Viking Moot, 25 - 26 July 2009 The Viking Moot offers a wealth of activities with archers, warriors and horsemen showing off their skills. Crossing swords in formidable battles, incited by a cheering crowd, horsemen on Icelandic horses ride in procession as tasty, authentic Viking fare is cooked over open fires, tempting visitors to quickly become acquainted with the Viking cuisine. www.moesmus.dk

Aarhus Festival, 28 August - 6 September 2009 This major Scandinavian festival takes over the whole of Aarhus . with this years theme being �Dance�. . Throughout the week the city comes alive with an exciting and varied programme of shows, theatre performances, concerts, opera, ballet, music and sport. Suitable for all ages and including a number of free performances. The official programme will be available from the beginning of August. www.aarhusfestuge.dk Aarhus Night of Culture, 9 October 2009 During the �Night of Culture�, numerous events and exhibitions are available all over the city from 6pm to 12 pm. The programme includes all the major museums and exhibition halls, churches, libraries, schools, and a great number of venues that are normally not open to the public. Public spaces are also transformed into stages for musical performance, poetry reading and art exhibitions. Access is obtained with a Night of Culture badge giving free admission to the events. www.kulturnataarhus.dk

KIC - Arts and Crafts Fair, 6 �8 November 2009 KiC is the largest fair for arts and crafts in Denmark. Held every year in the centre of Aarhus, participants are invited from all over the world with the majority coming from Denmark, England, Germany and Holland to exhibit jewellery, textiles, glass, ceramics and mixed media. The www.kic-aarhus.dk

World Standard Dance Championships, 28 November 2009 It�s not just in the UK that dance has increased in popularity. In 2006, Aarhus hosted the World Standard Dance Championships and this event was so successful that the International Dance Sport Federation has chosen Aarhus as the host venue for these Championships again in 2009. Fifty of the world�s best Standard (or Ballroom) dancers and 4000 spectators are expected for this event.

Christmas in Den Gamle By (The Old Town), 21 November - 30 December 2009 The open air museum of The Old Town is made up of 75 different period houses. During the Christmas period, the streets will be decorated beautifully with 16 of the houses showcasing over 35 different Christmas exhibitions. It all adds up to an exciting atmosphere with a true Christmassy feeling, where the houses come alive with period-dressed personnel. It also has a Christmas market every weekend throughout December. www.dengamleby.dk

Christmas Parade and Midnight-Open, 28 November 2009 A lively and wonderful Christmas parade, led by Santa Claus, will pass through the city as the Christmas lights are switched on and all the shops in the city open for Christmas shopping through to midnight.

ODENSE

Folk Festival 7 � 10 May 2009 For those with a love of folk music, Odense Folk Festival celebrates its 20th year in 2009 with a mixed showcase of rising stars and well-known Danish and foreign folk artists including a strong following of Irish and Scottish musicians. www.odensefolkfestival.dk

Iron Age Market, 16 � 17 May 2009 Recreating the scene from 1500 years ago, Odense�s annual Iron Age Village market plays host to over 100 costumed tradesmen displaying a wide selection of crafts and goods from beautiful handmade jewellery, pottery, swords, bows and arrows to leather ware made from local furs and skins. During the two days, the market place will come alive with a number of events including storytelling of the ancient myths, warrior fighting, Iron Age games, birds of prey demonstrations and iron making. With plenty of food and drink stalls as well, visitors are guaranteed a real taste of the Iron Age. www.jernalderlandsbyen.dk/?ID=144

Harbour Culture Festival 2009, 29 � 31 May 2009 Situated around the harbour area, the weekend includes activities and entertainment covering cultural events, sport, athletics and art.

The Hans Christian Andersen Parade 27 July � 8 August 2009 Excerpts from Hans Christian Andersen�s fairy tales are performed by children with the parade taking place 3 times daily in the �castle� by the Andersen Museum.

Opera in the Meadow, 16 August 2009 For music lovers, take a picnic and join the open-air concert in picturesque meadow, along the banks of the Odense river, where the Odense Symphonic Orchestra and a number of professional soloists will be performing extracts from the forthcoming opera and concert season in Odense Concert Hall. www.odensesymfoni.dk

Odense International Film Festival, 17 August 2009 Odense Film Festival is Denmark's international film festival for short and documentary films. The festival features an exciting programme of the world's best short films as well as the best of this year's Danish short and documentary films. It also has special programmes for children and teenagers. There is free admission to all festival screenings. www.filmfestival.dk

Flower Festival, 19 � 22 August 2009 Flowers, flowers everywhere! See, feel and smell the more than 180,000 flowers, plants and vegetables arranged in various fanciful tableaux and arrangements according to a specific theme that changes annually. www.blomsterfestival.dk

Robot Festival, 10 � 12 September 2009 The Robot Festival is a unique event that attracts playful, instructive and interactive robots from all over the world. www.robotfestival.dk/english

Hans Christian Andersen Marathon, 20 September 2009 An international city marathon attracting over 3000 participants, the marathon also includes an in-liner skaters race, wheelchair/handbike race and a mini marathon for children. www.hcamarathon.dk

Odense Night of Culture, 9 October 2009 During the �Night of Culture�, a large number of events and exhibitions are available all over the city from 6pm to 12 pm. The programme includes all the major museums and exhibition halls, churches, libraries, schools, organisations and a great number of venues that are normally not open to the public. Public spaces are also transformed into stages for musical performance, poetry reading and art exhibitions. Access is obtained with a Night of Culture badge giving free admission to the events. www.odense.dk

The Music Harvest, 28 October � 1 November & 3 � 7 November 2009 Since the first Music Harvest in 1985, the festival has presented contemporary music from the USA, Russia, Britain, Germany, Hungary, Finland, Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic countries, as well as from Denmark. www.musikhost.dk/english/index.html

International Days of Blues, 6 � 8 November 2009 Odense International Days of Blues features local and international artists in one of Odense's small charming music stages called Magasinet. www.bluesdage.dk

H.C.Andersen Christmas Market, Two first weekends of December The old part of Odense, where Hans Christian Andersen's childhood home lies, forms the setting for a period Christmas market with all the fun of the fair - illuminations, merry-go-round and stalls selling lovely goodies for presents. The Hans Christian Andersen Parade will perform daily with a winter show. www.hcajulemarkedet.dk

AALBORG

Life & Style Fair � Wining & Dining 2009, 20-22 February 2009 Visit the largest lifestyle fair in Denmark - �Life & Style � The Wining & Dining Fair� at the Aalborg Congress and Culture Centre where you can taste and touch all sorts of consumer goods from gastronomy and fashion toarts and crafts.

Aalborg Opera Festival, 13 � 27 March 2009 In spite of Aalborg�s rather small size (about 150,000 inhabitants), the city hosts the only Opera Festival in Denmark. This year the festival has its 6th anniversary and features a more diverse programme. Performances take place all over the city with the opera world filling the Congress Centre, music venues, caf�s and churches with wonderful music. www.aalborgoperafestival.dk

Consumer Fair - Spring 2009, 27 � 29 March 2009 The great Consumer Fair in Denmark presents the latest news in house, garden, home, dining, travel, art and fashion.

Carnival in Aalborg, 16 � 23 May 2009 For the 27th time, Aalborg plays host to the largest carnival in Northern Europe, Every year attracting over 100,000 people, both as participants in the parade and as spectators. Joined by carnival groups from around the world, the celebrations span over a week offering an excellent opportunity to experience the great diversity of carnival traditions. Following a specific theme each year, with participants creating their costumes accordingly, this year�s theme is 'La Dolce Vita'. The main carnival parade takes place on the final Saturday with a vibrant parade through the streets, culminating in the �Battle of Carnival Bands�, as well as DJ�s, dance acts and fireworks in the Kildeparken. Entrance to the Kildeparken is DKK 100. www.karnevaliaalborg.dk Skagen Bird Festival, 21 � 25 May 2009 Skagen (or the Skaw) - at the very top of Denmark - is famous as the best spot in Northern Europe for observing bird migration in spring. Birds travelling from their winter quarters to breeding sites in Scandinavia and northern Russia pass this way. The season lasts from March to June with hundreds of birders, including visitors from other countries, coming to enjoy the experience. http://www.sff.dofnord.dk/english.html

Nibe Festival, 1 � 4 July 2009, Nibe Just 20 minutes from Aalborg, Nibe Festival has been acknowledged as one of Denmark�s best music festivals. Set in the beautiful Skal Forest on the outskirts of Nibe, it offers 4 days of great music and atmosphere. www.nibefestival.dk

4th of July, 2 � 4 July 2009 In keeping with traditions, the 4th of July is also celebrated in Aalborg. The Municipality of Aalborg, Aalborg City, the military in Northern Jutland and VisitAalborg organise a wide range of activities from American car displays, Country & Western music and air displays as well as jazz and rock music. www.visitaalborg.com/international/en-gb/menu/tourist/oplevelser/events/program-july-4-2008.htm

Viking Market, Lindholm H�je, 27 -28 June 2009 At Lindholm H�je, just outside Aalborg in North Jutland, visitors will find Scandinavia�s largest Viking burial ground with more than 700 graves. It dates from the late Iron Age and was covered by drifting sand from about AD 1000 so the site has remained very well preserved and has an excellent museum displaying many of the finds. Events and activities are held throughout the year with one of the largest being the annual Viking Market on 27 and 28 June 2009 when volunteers recreate Viking clothing, tools and weapons. www.lindholmvikingespil.dk

Den Blaa Festival, 10 � 16 August 2009 Aalborg�s annual Blues Festival sees the city's squares and wide range of venues transformed into Blues clubs and performance spaces for a fantastic week of music. Creating a very special atmosphere in the city, the programme consists of both Danish and international blues and jazz musicians. www.denblaafestival.dk. Fashion & Culture Week, 1- 5 September 2009 For the first week of September Aalborg will be the centre for Scandinavian culture and fashion. Fashion Culture Week in Aalborg provides a chance to glimpse the newest, creative trends in culture and fashion when fashion shows on catwalks literally take to the streets. One of the key attractions, the DOK#1 Design and Handcraft Market, takes place on Tolbods Plads during this time. www.aalborgcity.dk, www.dok1.dk

Night of Culture, 9 October 2009 During the �Night of Culture�, events and exhibitions are available all over the city from 6pm to 12 pm. The programme includes all the major museums and exhibition halls, churches, libraries, schools, organisations and a great number of venues that are normally not open to the public. Public spaces are also transformed into stages for musical performance, poetry reading and art exhibitions. Access is obtained with a Night of Culture badge giving free admission to the events. www.kulturnatten.com

Christmas Market, 28 November 2009 The annual Christmas Market opens at 6.00pm in the centre of Aalborg with a spectacle of colourful stalls, Christmas trees, lights and entertainment. It is then open every day until Christmas Eve.

The Arrival of Santa Claus, 29 November 2009 Santa Claus arrives is Aalborg City directly from Greenland. His great ship will be put in at the quay at Aalborg Harbour at 11.00am with thousands of children and adults coming down to greet him. The Mayor of Aalborg will officially welcome Santa Claus before Santa takes the mayor for a ride in his sleigh around the city to Santa�s house at �Gammeltorv�.

Skating Rink, December 2009 � 15 March 2010 The large outdoor skating rink in C.W. Obels Square opens during December and continues through to March next year. Rent skates and enjoy the winter wonderland of Aalborg with the Christmas Market making a colourful backdrop of festivities.

Getting there�

Ryanair has daily flights to Billund and Aarhus airports with easy bus/train transfers to Aarhus and Odense. Aalborg can be reached via Copenhagen with connecting flights on Cimber Air or by train/hire car from Billund and Aarhus. For more details on getting to the regional cities: www.visitdenmark.com/uk/en-gb/menu/presse/generalrejseinfo/transport/flights-and-transport-to-denmark.htm

For more information on each city visit: Aalborg: http://www.visitaalborg.com Aarhus: http://www.visitaarhus.com Odense: http://www.visitodense.com

For more details on DenmarkVisit: http://www.visitdenmark.com

Ends

For further information, please contact: Anne-Marie Barsoe Tel: 020 7201 3970 Email: amb@visitdenmark.com