Ungdommens Folkemøde 2026 / Youth Democracy Festival 2026

Ungdommens Folkemøde (The Danish Youth Democracy Festival) is related to the large annual democracy festival held on the island of Bornholm, but with a particular focus on democracy, the conditions and opportunities for young people, and their future. It takes place every autumn in Valbyparken and brings together more than xx organizations, companies, political parties, NGOs, and artists. This year, it was held September 2 and 3. Ungdomsbureauet is the organizer behind the festival, in collaboration with many organisations and funding institutions.

Once again, this year, I put my little dog in the bicycle basket and headed for Valbyparken to experience the energy of approximately 30.000 young people, 80 organisations, 350-400 volunteers and around 100 stage events. My dog is actually quite a good icebreaker when it comes to striking up conversations with the festival participants. As far as I could tell, most of the young participants were attending with their Social Studies or Danish teacher, and some had travelled long distances by bus to be there.

The festival is organized around a variety of small tents and stages offering engaging activities, makerspaces, talks, and debates on topics ranging from education, politics, and the EU to diversity, sustainability, and technological development. Over the past couple of years, the festival and its activities have had a strong focus on sustainability. This year, however, questions about the future, education, work, security, both at the societal level and for individuals, and technology seemed more prominent, at least from my perspective.

Perhaps this reflects the very tangible concerns many young people have about the future: worsening political tensions around the world, worries about the consequences of AI, and challenges affecting individuals’ mental, emotional, and social well-being. The photos included here illustrate some of the topics and activities that the young participants could encounter and engage with during the festival.

As always after attending The Danish Youth Democracy Festival: Ungdommens Folkemøde, I am left feeling both deeply grateful to the organizers, partners, schoolteachers, and volunteers who make it happen, and motivated, happy, and optimistic after witnessing so many young people participating with enthusiasm and engagement.