Musical and artistic trial balloon: Lønstrup Festival was a success and will be repeated in 2025
A donation of DKK 20,000 from the Sol og Strand Foundation, Sol og Strand Margit and Kjeld, helped to make the first edition of the Lønstrup Festival a reality. The festival took place over two days during the Ascension Day holiday.
"We had what was probably the best first edition of the Lønstrup Festival imaginable—all the concerts went well, and there was a great atmosphere everywhere. We have just had an evaluation meeting in the working group, and everyone agrees that there will be another festival next year, says Søren Krogh, who is a member of the 12-person working group behind the festival.
In advance, 120 season tickets were sold for the concerts, which took place at the city's many galleries, Café Slugten, Hotel Kirkedal, and the cinema. In addition, 300-400 people took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy one of the many free concerts, and the organizers are very pleased with this support.
"We have no ambitions to put on a big concert in a stadium with food stalls, big-name performers, and lots of volunteers. We want to create an intimate atmosphere, which is why we are holding the festival in its existing setting," says Søren Krogh.
"Lønstrup already has and can do a lot, and this is Lønstrup to the power of two. Our vision is to combine food, music, nature, art, and culture, and it's a cocktail that helped create a fantastic atmosphere in the town," says Søren Krogh, who is a musician himself with 11 albums to his name.
Although many of the galleries do not have a large capacity, space was created for visitors who came from all over the country. According to Søren Krogh, there was even a group from Norway who had come to Lønstrup solely for the festival.
"I hope that the festival will help to reinforce Lønstrup's image as a small, cozy place that offers authenticity and quality experiences in culture, art, and music. We also hope that the festival will have a positive impact on the turnover of the town's businesses," says Søren Krogh.
He is originally from Hjørring, and today the North Jutland troubadour lives in Vejle, but for at least four months of the year he can be found in his summer house in Lønstrup, where he writes almost all of his songs. He draws inspiration from nature and the people he meets in Lønstrup and Vendsyssel.
"Lønstrup means a lot to me, and I chose to get involved in this project because I wanted to give something back to the area," says Søren Krogh.