Ben Hamilton
December 16th, 2018

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(all photos: Hasse Ferrold)

Back by popular demand, the Crazy Christmas Cabaret (ongoing until Jan 5) is this country’s most popular English-language show, entertaining up to 50,000 each year at the Glassalen theatre in Tivoli. Vivienne McKee, the creator and star since its first year in 1982, invites you to step aboard Phileas Fogg’s balloon and traverse the world

While most culture venues shut during the winter, Det Kongelige Teater continues with a full program. Among the highlights are acclaimed British ballet ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ (until Dec 22), Puccini operas ‘La Boheme’ (ends Dec 18) and ‘Turandot’ (from Jan 19), and Johan Strauss operetta ‘Die Fledermaus’ (ongoing, ends March 3)

There’s more to Xmas than Tivoli (open until Dec 31) with a wide range of Christian denominations catered to: from Lutheran (CPH Cathedral: Dec 24 14:30, 16:30 & 23:30; Dec 25, 10:00 & 17:00), to Anglican/ Episcopal (St Albans: Dec 24, 12:00 & 23:30; Dec 25, 10:30), to Catholic (St. Ansgar’s: Dec 24, 16:00; Dec 25, 00:00, 10:00 & 15:00)

As it should be over the winter, there are plenty of film festivals to enjoy in Copenhagen, be it animated works aimed at adults (Void FF, Jan 24-Feb 2), horror (Night Terrors FF, Feb 7-8), documentaries (CPH:DOX, March 20-31), indies (Annual CPH FF, March 15-16), anthropological (Sjón, March 8-10) or Jewish (Jan 27-Feb 3)

The St Andrew Society of Denmark, currently celebrating its 70th year as one of the country’s oldest international associations, is hosting its Burns Night Supper at Circle Orden in Frederiksberg on January 26. Enjoy piping, haggis, whiskey and the ‘Immortal Memory’, which this time will be given by actor Ian Burns from That Theatre

It’s out with the ‘Dog’ and in with the ‘Pig’ on February 5 as a week’s worth of Chinese New Year festivities clicks into gear. In recent years, the Spring Festival has been increasingly making its presence felt in central Copenhagen – both indoors at locations such as City Hall and outdoors on Strøget, the main walking street

Still going strong after 18 years, the winter edition of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has arguably become just as iconic. Vinterjazz (Feb 1-24) will stage close to 500 concerts at 75 venues to soothe the winter blues. Also making February bearable are the Copenhagen Light Festival’s 25 installations, which will be in place over the same time period

Not long ago, a winter edition of Copenhagen Cooking was held in February as part of the month-long Wondercool festival, and some remnants remain. First off, we have restaurant opportunities galore in Copenhagen Dining Week (Feb 11-17). And in case you need an aperitif or nightcap, there’s the Gin Festival (Feb 15-17) and Cocktail Week (TBC)

It wouldn’t be spring without another one-month run of a That Theatre production. The February 20 premiere of Yasmina Reza’s Tony Award-winning dark comedy ‘Art’ at Krudttønden, the scene of the 2015 terror attack, is a great place to meet thespians and creatives from the city’s niche English-language theatre scene and beyond

Filling a void left by Forum’s annual holiday fair in late January, the Danish Travel Show at MCH Exhibitioncenter Herning (Feb 22-24) is a hit with participating embassies. The Cuban Embassy recommended a Billund-Havana route after attending, while the Turkish Embassy reported “very good sales” by its travel agencies

Fastelavn on March 3 is Denmark’s Halloween – even though half the nation’s children also honour that festivity. Celebrated two days before Shrove Tuesday, it incorporates similar pre-Lent excesses, including the striking of a cat (today candy will suffice) out of the barrel – a similar tradition to the beating of the piñata in Mexico