Aarhus Municipality

When the survey specialists at Epinion asked the people of Aarhus, ”What particularly makes Aarhus a good city in your opinion?”, 38 percent answered “culture”. Nature came in second on the list of favorite Aarhus attributes.

Aarhus is a popular city of education with many young citizens. That certainly leaves its mark on the city. Something is always happening somewhere in Aarhus – especially on the cultural scene. Culture courses through Aarhus’ veins, and you encounter it everywhere. Each day, the bells of City Hall toll the town tune “In vernalis temporis” which was written by the principal of the Cathedral School in 1500. Music has always been part of the city’s identity. Active music milieus and festivals like SPOT and Northside keep Aarhus rocking.

The big institutions of culture in Aarhus thrill the citizens and attract guests from all over the world. Olafur Eliasson’s colorful “Your rainbow panorama” on the roof of the art museum ARoS has become the city’s undeniable trademark. Den Gamle By (The Old Town) and Moesgaard Museum are other flagships that chose to rethink the concept of exhibition and now enjoy record numbers of visitors. Aarhus Concert Hall and Aarhus Theater present concerts and scene art on a high international level, and the legendary Aarhus Festival every year surprises audiences with new culture.

And then there is everything else. An endless lineup of culture events driven by passionate citizens. The grassroots at the Culture Production Center Godsbanen. Live music in the cafées. Pop-up galleries, street art, and quirky site-specific shows around town.

Culture has never had a stronger foothold than now in the wake of European Capital of Culture 2017, and Aarhus has become the city where culture sets the pace.