With fantastic architecture, sensational shopping, excellent nightlife and plenty of cultural attractions, Copenhagen has everything the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender traveller might need for the ultimate Scandinavian city break. The vibrant, welcoming city is compact enough to explore on foot and has a pleasantly laid-back, 'anything-goes' atmosphere that quite sets the tone for a weekend to remember. And with a calendar headlining events such as Copenhagen Pride in August and as host city for the Eurovision Song Contest in May, 2014 looks set to be a year for the city to really shine. 

LGBT facts
Few world cities can claim to be as LGBT-friendly as Denmark's cosmopolitan capital. The city's (and one of Europe's) first ever gay bars, Centralhjørnet, has been in business for nearly 100 years, while Denmark was the first country in the world to recognise registered partnerships for same-sex couples back in 1989. In 2009 it became possible for registered gay couples to adopt, and in 2012 for gay people to be married in church. This broad-minded approach to the city's own LGBT community has evolved into an open invitation to LGBT travellers from around the world to follow the rainbow and discover for themselves what makes Copenhagen so very special.  

LGBT venues
Most of the city's LGBT appeal lies in the historic Old Town - especially in the area around Strøget, the pedestrianised main shopping street. Many of the best cafés and bars are to be found here, alongside shopping opportunities spanning funky fashions to typically Danish designer homewares. Nearby, the newly fashionable Vesterbro district is also a good bet for contemporary Danish art, design and gastronomy. The central district is also where the majority of the LGBT bars and clubs are located, including GAY Copenhagen, the city's newest venue, which opened on 6th February 2014. On the same day, and 24 hours before the opening of the Olympic Games in Russia, Copenhagen City Council decided to rename the square next to Copenhagen City Hall Rainbow Square. The reference to the LGBT flag serves as a celebration of equality and a mark to the international world that all sexual minorities should have equal rights.

Copenhagen Festivals
Beyond Copenhagen's everyday appeal, the city stages a programme of headline events that suit the discerning LGBT sector. Many of these are mainstream events that by their very nature have outstanding crossover appeal. A perfect example is Wondercool - Copenhagen's annual winter festival focusing on music, architecture, art, design, fashion and food - which runs throughout the month of February. Other important fixtures on the cultural calendar include the Copenhagen Beer Festival (22-24 May), Distortion - the city's largest free street party (4-8 June), Copenhagen Jazz Festival (4-13 July), Strøm Festival (11-17 August) which showcases electronic music through parties, concerts and workshops and the Copenhagen Cooking food festival (22-31 August).

LGBT Events
In addition, Copenhagen puts on a series of events that are specifically tailored to the LGBT sector. These kick off in spectacular style with Copenhagen Pride (26-31 August), which fills the city with concerts, parties, a colourful parade and rainbow flags galore. Around 20,000 people attend this annual event (including a growing number from overseas), with highlights including drag shows, club nights and the grand finale of the Mr Gay Denmark competition. Copenhagen Pride also encompasses PanGames 2014: a weekend of sports events for the LGBT community that attracts over 1,500 competitors. This is followed in October by Mix Copenhagen (formerly the Copenhagen Gay and Lesbian Film Festival), which is one of the oldest LGBT film festivals in the world.  This year's event combines movie screenings with parties, performances and debates, and takes place from 3-12 October.

Join us for Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen
The biggest event of this year, however, is the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, which is being held in Copenhagen from 6-10 May. This delightfully camp competition is the world's largest musical tournament, with this year's event (the 59th Eurovision Song Contest) attracting 37 countries to compete for the title. The city is bracing itself to receive an expected 190,000 participants and fans, with a further 170million around the world tuning in to share the excitement on TV. With Denmark, Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom already qualified for the final, the competition for Europe's best song is going to be both fabulous and fierce! The final takes place on Saturday 10 May, and there will be a number of free events in the streets of Copenhagen to celebrate this glittering global extravaganza. 

Wonderful Eurovision weddings
Copenhagen Pride is to ensure that this year's Eurovision Song Contest will have a clear LGBT profile that reflects the importance of the city's LGBT community. This has resulted in a Eurovision Pride Square in central Copenhagen with lots of entertainment and rainbow atmosphere. In addition to this, the City of Copenhagen is adding to the celebration by providing an extraordinary opportunity for gay and straight couples looking to tie the knot in an unforgettable way. In the days leading up to the finale, colorful wedding ceremonies will be able to take place in front of Copenhagen Opera House, at the cobblestones of Højbro Plads and on a wedding boat. These wonderful outdoor settings will ensure each couple has a once in a life time experience and an unforgettable and romantic memory of their stay in Copenhagen. 

Getting there:
For direct flights to Copenhagen with Norwegian Airlines go to www.norwegian.com/uk. 

Accommodation is available throughout the city, for further details go to www.visitcopenhagen.com/recommendedhotels. 

For further information on Copenhagen for LBGT travelers go to www.visitcopenhagen.com/gaycopenhagen

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VisitDenmark - Official Partner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014

For further press information Email Anthea Yabsley at IDeal PR at anthea.yabsley@ideal-pr.co.uk or email Kathrine Lind Gustavussen at VisitDenmark at klg@visitdenmark.com