Roskilde Festival introduces membership fee for some volunteers from 2027

Denmark’s Roskilde Festival is introducing a membership requirement for volunteers who work directly for the Roskilde Festival Association, beginning with the 2027 edition. The first year of membership will be free, with an annual fee of DKK 100 (approximately €13.40) applying from the second year.

The change does not automatically affect all of the roughly 27,000 volunteers who help run the festival each year. Roskilde Festival works with approximately 200 affiliated volunteer organisations, and participants can volunteer either through those groups or directly through the festival association.

The new membership requirement applies specifically to those volunteering directly for the Roskilde Festival Association. Volunteers participating through affiliated organisations are not necessarily subject to the same requirement.

Volunteers play a central role in the operation of the non-profit event, which welcomes approximately 130,000 participants annually. They typically contribute either 24 hours of work before the festival begins or 32 hours during the eight-day event.

In exchange for their work, volunteers receive a full festival pass. A comparable ticket cost DKK 2,600 (around €348) in 2026, making the pass a substantial benefit in return for the time contributed.

The festival is organised by the non-profit Roskilde Festival Association. Profits from the event are distributed to charitable and cultural initiatives, including projects supporting young people’s well-being.

The organisers have not publicly explained the reasoning behind the new membership requirement or provided a detailed estimate of its financial impact.

The 2027 edition of Roskilde Festival will take place from June 26 to July 3. Tame Impala, Patti Smith Quartet and Caroline Polachek are among the first announced artists. Further information is available on the festival’s official website.