Smukfest Ducks The Rain

The weather forecast predicted four days of rain but Denmark’s Skanderborg Festival – or Smukfest, as it’s called – managed to  miss the storms that swept across Scandinavia and hit the twinned Sonisphere Festivals in Sweden and Finland.

There were cloudy spells over the beech forest site just south of Aarhus as “Denmark’s Most Beautiful Festival,” – and its second-biggest behind Roskilde – sold out for at least the 10th year in succession.

Since 1993, only two editions of Skanderborg have failed to sell out, as the capacity has gradually increased to 27,500 per day.

Skanderborg press chief Claus Visbye said the festival with the motto “If you’re going to have a party, have a party,” was an all-round success and one of the easiest to stage. The festival is reputed to sell more beer per head than any other in Scandinavia.

The acts keeping the party going on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula Aug. 5-8 included Faithless, Amy Macdonald, Thomas Helmig, Alphabeat, Placebo, Volbeat, Suede, Kent and Roxette.