Folkemødet, The people’s meeting
Photos: by Pelle Rink. Drone photo by Per Frost.
Folkemødet, Denmark
Every year in June, the small harbour town of Allinge on the island of Bornholm turns into a large celebration of democracy. With more than 2,500 events created by 1,200 different organizations, Folkemødet (literally translated as 'The People’s Meeting') has become an important democratic event with the purpose of creating informal meetings and dialogue between decision-makers and citizens.
Purpose and vision
The purpose of Folkemødet is to strengthen democracy by bringing people together, whether you are a politician, lobbyist, business owner, volunteer, or an ordinary citizen. Folkemødet sets the stage for democratic dialogue in order to diminish distance and enhance trust between citizens and decision-makers.
Founder and year of establishment
In 2008 and 2009, the mayor of Bornholm, Winni Grosbøll, visited the Swedish democracy festival on Gotland and began considering the possibility of creating a Danish version on Bornholm. In the summer of 2010, the then Minister of Interior and Health, Bertel Haarder, was invited to Almedalsveckan. He too was enthusiastic and began advocating for a similar event in Denmark.
The two tracks crossed when the Municipality of Bornholm applied to the Ministry of Interior for support to host a democracy festival on Bornholm. This marked the beginning of a formal collaboration, and when the parliamentary parties also endorsed the idea, the work of arranging the first edition of Denmark's democracy festival began. The first Folkemøde was held in the small harbor town of Allinge in June 2011. It quickly gained popularity, and over the following years, the festival grew larger and larger.
Organisational structure
The festival was originally organized by a project secretariat within the regional municipality of Bornholm. As part of the development and consolidation of Folkemødet, it was decided in 2016 to establish Foreningen Folkemødet (the Association Folkemødet) outside the municipal context. This decision was made with the intention of making the association financially sustainable, developing facilities for participants, and enabling the festival to involve even more volunteers.
Folkemødet is created in cooperation with political parties, grassroots organizations, and various associations and companies. Everyone contributes to the festival with interesting debates, presentations, cultural events, speeches, workshops, and much more.
Location and length
The 3-day festival takes place in Allinge, on the island of Bornholm, in the middle of June (week 24). The idea of organising the festival on an island, away from the capital, was intentional. The aim was to create a camp-like atmosphere where participants could stay during the festival and fully enjoy its atmosphere. Allinge is located 90 km and a boat trip away from Copenhagen and has approximately 1,600 inhabitants.
Size – number of participants and events
According to the organizers' estimate, approximately 55,000 people visited the festival in 2023. Since the festival takes place on an island, these numbers were based on ferry and airport ticket data, as well as the police estimate during the festival. In 2023, approximately 3,000 events were held across 200 event venues and stages, with participation of 1,200 representatives from various organizations
People attending the festival
People from all walks of life and diverse groups of Danish society attend the festival. In 2023, 71% of attendees were ordinary citizens or volunteers. Of these, 68% had been attending for three years or more, while 20% visited Folkemødet for the first time. Remarkably, 90% of the participants highly recommend visiting Folkemødet.
Involvement of political parties
The parliamentary parties each have their own tents during the festival. Additionally, each party has access to the main stage for half an hour at specified time slots determined by the Folkemødet Association, which rotate every year. In 2023, all political parties from the parliament participated, with 126 out of a total of 179 parliament members taking part.
Programme
Anyone can apply to organise events. The secretariat approves events that are perceived to be relevant and conducive to dialogue, resulting in the acceptance of almost all proposed events. The programme is curated with the aim of facilitating matchmaking among various event organisers who present similar programmes. The Head of the programme meets with event organisers to encourage them to collaborate. While Folkemødet primarily focuses on the festival in June, it is also working on offering activities throughout the year. Culture blends into the festival in a significant way, with theater, music, art, and sports all integrated into the programme.