Entertainment in Copenhagen
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DGI-Byen
Lying just south of Central Station, overlooking the tracks, you’ll find Copenhagen’s best leisure and sports complex, featuring a large indoor swimming pool, bowling alley, spa, restaurant, cafe and hotel, among other facilities. On offer at the spa are a wide range of beauty treatments, different massage therapies, algae and salt baths, mud packs and acupuncture.
reviewed
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Masken
You’ll find a pretty mellow, easy-going atmosphere in this mainstream gay bar, with cheap beer and good snacks. It’s mainly a hang-out for gay men, but Thursday is Ladies Night.
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Copenhagen Opera House
This state-of-the-art opera house features two stages, the Main Stage and a smaller venue, Takkeløftet. The repertoire runs the gamut from classic to contemporary opera, as well as the odd curve ball like a performance by Elvis Costello or something from the Jazz Festival. Productions usually sell out way in advance but any unsold tickets are offered at half-price at the Opera House box office from 6pm on the night of the performance. Alternatively, many come just to eat in the panoramic Franco-Danish restaurant or the ground-floor cafe, or to explore the building on a guided tour. The tours run Saturdays and Sundays at 9.30am and 4.30pm (100kr).
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Belle Epoque
Though new on the scene, retro-chic Belle Epoque has wasted little time building a solid rep. It swooped street press Nojesguiden’s ‘Best Bar’ award in 2009, while its French-inspired bistro grub has already made it into Swedish gourmet bible, the White Guide. The wines (all from small producers) include a number of interesting organic drops, while the choice of indie brews includes Newcastle Brown Ale, Duvel and San Francisco’s Anchor Steam. Soak it all up with fresh, seasonal, weekly changing dishes including Atlantic cod with lemongrass, celeriac, melon, mint and parmesan, or zucchini with chickpeas and paprika.
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Vega
Vega is considered the father of all Copenhagen nightlife venues yet, despite its venerable status, it remains both a cutting-edge venue for the most in-demand DJs in Europe, as well as the preferred destination of global stars such as Prince, Jamie Cullum and Arctic Monkeys. Store Vega hosts the major live acts. Lilla Vega is a great place to catch the up-and-comers of the music world and becomes the Vega Nightclub and Lounge at weekends. The Ideal Bar allows you to lounge in style with a cocktail in one hand, and plays easy listening grooves as a soundtrack.
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Huset
This excellent arts centre is home to a variety of entertainment: Musik Cafeen, which promotes up-and-coming rock and pop acts; Salon K, which hosts mostly cabaret and chamber music; Planeten, home to experimental music and theatre; Underkanten, a venue for open-mic sessions and poetry slams; an art-house cinema; and 1.Sal, which shines the spotlight on jazz. And as if all this wasn’t enough, there’s a cafe and an Italian restaurant to boot. Admission and opening times vary.
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Skuespilhuset (Royal Danish Playhouse)
Designed by Boje Lundegaard and Lene Tranberg, Copenhagen’s striking playhouse is home to the Royal Danish Theatre and a world-class repertoire of both homegrown and foreign plays (recent productions have included Ludvig Holberg’s classic Jeppe of the Hill and Sarah Kane’s ‘in-yer-face’ 4:48 Psychosis). Tickets often sell out well in advance but any unsold go for half-price at the box office from 6pm on the day of the performance.
reviewed
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Islands Brygge Havnebadet
This has to be the funkiest public swimming pool (designed by trendy architects Plot) you’ll ever see. It takes some courage to plunge into the waters of Copenhagen harbour, though they do at least test it regularly for cleanliness. If you don’t fancy a swim, there are lawns, skateboarding parks, basketball courts, restaurants and cafes where you can chill out on a sunny day. It has a real carnival atmosphere during the summer holidays.
reviewed
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Karriere
The brainchild of artist Jeppe Hein, this postindustrial bar is a Meatpacking District must, designed by 25 local and international artists: Olafur Eliasson designed the lamps and Jeppe Hein designed the bar, which moves 35mm every 30 minutes. Ditch the so-so food for crafty cocktails, which may include the legendary Mario Mantequilla, made with peanut butter–infused corralejo blanco tequila and agave syrup.
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Halvandet
We can’t guarantee this groovy urban beach/lounge bar will be open in ’08, but it has drawn a chilled-out party crowd to this rather remote part of town since ’03 every summer. You’ll find it a little beyond the Opera House, out in the old docklands (Holmen). The food is rudimentary grills and salads, but the vibe and the music are unbeatable, especially if the weather is cooperative.
reviewed
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Absolut Ice Bar
Admittedly, some might call this an absolute rip-off, but this deep frozen bar is still worth a (one) visit if you have never been to any of the others in Sweden and Norway. Everything, including the glasses is made from the purest Swedish river water. On entering you are given an Arctic cape to protect you from the temperature that can reach –12°C, and warned not to lick the walls…
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Culture Box
If you’re after a serious dance-floor session, don’t miss this iconic Copenhagen club. Spread over two levels, Culture Box ditches cheesy commercial hits for innovative, noncommercial beats spanning anything (and everything) from electro, techno and house to drum’n’bass, dub-step and electronic jazz. Local talent aside, guest DJs have included Cologne’s Tobias Thomas and Chicago’s Billy Dalessandro.
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Jazzhus Montmartre
The reopening of Jazzhus Montmartre in 2010 signalled the rebirth of one of Scandinavia’s great jazz venues. A contemporary cafe from noon to 8pm, the place gets back to its roots in the evenings, with live jams from both local and international talent. Recent guests include Australian jazz pianist Tom Vincent and French violin great Didier Lockwood. Check the website for upcoming performances.
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Copenhagen Jazzhouse
In just about any other city a venue as great as this would be horribly commercialised but Copenhagen’s premiere jazz venue has a wonderfully unpretentious atmosphere that focuses on the music and performers. As well as some of the top names in the jazz world, you’ll hear funk, blues, pop and, when the DJs get the downstairs dance floor heaving, an even wider range of contemporary music.
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Tivoli’s Koncertsal & Plænen
Copenhagen’s largest concert hall attracts major international acts, often of the easy listening/musical theatre variety – Elvis Costello played here in 2010. Improbably, this historic building is now also home to Europe’s longest saltwater aquarium. Meanwhile, every Friday at 10pm you’ll find a major Danish or international pop act performing for free at the open-air stage, Plænen.
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Simons
Brainchild of promoters Simon Frank and Simon Lennet, this is the city’s new ‘It’ club. Occupying a former art gallery, its biggest (and smallest) claims to fame are A-list DJ talent and dwarves behind the bar. Expect selective electronica and an even more selective door policy (Fridays are more accessible than Saturdays). If you have a Danish SIM card, register for updates online.
reviewed
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Debaser
Stockholm’s music club heavyweight opened shop in Malmö a few years ago. Still going strong, it’s a head-nodding combo of live gigs and club nights spanning anything from indie, pop and hip-hop, to soul, electronica and rock. There’s a buzzing outdoor bar-lounge overlooking Folkets Park and decent grub (carnivores shouldn’t miss the chilli burger) till 10pm for a pre-party feed.
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Tivoli Koncertsal
This is the venue for symphony orchestra, string quartet and other classical music performances by Danish and international musicians. There’s a ballet festival each season with top international troupes, as well as cabaret performances. It also hosts modern dance performances by such big names as the Alvin Ailey dance troupe. Tickets are sold at the Tivoli Billetcenter.
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Ruby
Behind an unmarked door lies one of Copenhagen’s coolest cocktail bars, where hipster-geek mixologists shake whimsically named drinks (an Importance of Being Earnest, anyone?) and a lively crowd spills into a labyrinth of cosy, decadent rooms. For a gentlemen’s club vibe, head downstairs (think Chesterfield lounges, oil paintings and wooden cabinets lined with spirits).
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Café Europa
Martin Hildebrandt, who runs this popular meeting place in the heart of the busy shopping area of Strøget, has won awards for his coffee, which he makes from his own special blend of home-roasted beans. This is one of the best places to watch Copenhagen go by, especially in summer when there is outdoor seating beside the elegant Storkspringvandet (stork fountain).
reviewed
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Laundromat Cafe
This playful corner café was the brainchild of Icelander Fridrik Weisshappel who decided to turn the old Morgans juice bar into a café-cum-laundrette, with washing machines just round the corner from the bar. Throw in 4000 secondhand books (all for sale) to decorate the bar and you have one of Copenhagen’s most distinctive and enjoyable venues.
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Zirup
This is one of the best cafe-restaurants on Strædet with a fresh and funky menu (burgers, Mexican, wraps, sandwiches and salads) to match its colourful, cosmopolitan interior design, but is also a great drinking spot when the sun goes down. There is plenty of outdoor seating during the summer – perfect for seeing and being seen.
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Tempo Bar & Kök
This ever-lively bar-restaurant remains a popular evening hang-out for loyal locals. Once known for its DJ-sets, the focus has since turned to fine-tuning the food, dubbed husmanskost (traditional Swedish home cooking) with a twist. Close to Möllevångstorget, it’s popular with students and creative types.
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Union Bar
Inspired by the speakeasy bars of old New York (even the cocktails are named after 1920s slang), the Union hides away behind an unmarked black door. To enter, ring the buzzer and head down the stairs to a suitably dim, decadent scene of handsome bartenders, in-the-know revellers and smooth jazz and blues tunes.
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Loppen
This historic, timbered warehouse in Christiania doesn’t draw quite so many major international acts as it used to but is still one of the best live-music venues in the city – everything from punk to reggae, funk and world music can be heard here, usually followed by a boisterous disco into the early hours.
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