Somehow, I’ve never been to Syd For Solen. I don’t really have any excuse for my lack of interaction with the festival in previous years. The lineup is usually full of artists that I listen to anyway, and this year especially felt like someone had taken a concerningly close look at my streaming service and started booking after that. Geese, Turnstile, Horsegirl, Blood Orange, and so on – there’s a lot on my plate for three days.
So, of course I decided to give it a chance. And over three days, thirteen artists on my original schedule, with absolutely no consideration for whether my body will call it quits on the Saturday evening. I decided to map everything out, or try to. supermodel* was supposed to open my Thursday, but sadly his airline lost his bags, and he needed to cancel a few dates. Friday, my heart was set on Wilco and Turnstile, and they delivered. Saturday it was Geese and me.
Syd For Solen turned out to be very different from the other festivals I attend. There’s no enormous field to cross, no camping area to avoid, and I spent no time having to calculate how many songs I could see of an artist before I had to leave and see someone else. Instead, Syd For Solen proved to be a very relaxing festival over three days, and even though the lineup was stacked, it was the perfect end to my festival season.
And maybe that’s what I’ve fallen for. In hindsight, there were a few clashes, but nothing to cry about or get frustrated about. I could watch things, be in the moment; I could wander around and get food without feeling like I had to sacrifice half of a set I wanted to see. And somewhere between Amyl and the Sniffers set on a warm Thursday and me reaching Fcukers on a Saturday night, considerably more tired of myself the week prior that had made this schedule, it clicked inside me why people come back.
In the years before, as with any new festival, there are small issues to work out, and from what I experienced and heard from others, it seems they listen to feedback and their audience, making sure the following year runs a bit more smoothly. But we’ll get to that later.
THURSDAY
16:30 – OVER HAVET: AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS
With supermodel* canceling earlier in the day, Amyl and the Sniffers ended up being my first proper concert at Syd For Solen. It was ridiculously hot, the field wasn’t packed, and they were playing at 16:30, but somehow none of that mattered once Amy Taylor got onstage.
It was hot. Like, standing-in-the-middle-of-a-field-under-the-sun hot. The crowd was there, but it wasn’t packed, and there was still plenty of room around us to dance and give each other space. That didn’t stop a mosh pit from forming, though, because apparently no temperature is high enough to stop people from throwing themselves into each other at an Amyl and the Sniffers show.
A lot of that came down to Taylor. From the moment she walked onstage, she seemed genuinely excited to be there. She barely stopped moving, bouncing around the stage while I was somehow already tired from simply standing in the sun. The rest of the band matched her energy, and drummer Bryce Wilson turning up in a Danish football shirt obviously went down well with the Copenhagen crowd.
But Amyl and the Sniffers didn’t need a packed field to make the set work. “Security,” “Me and the Girls” and especially “Guided by Angels” sounded exactly like I wanted them to in the middle of a festival: loud, uncomplicated and ridiculously fun. People danced, shouted along, and disappeared into the mosh pit while I stayed safely in the middle and watched everyone else make questionable decisions with their bodies.
Amyl and the Sniffers weren’t the most mind-blowing band I saw over the three days, but they were exactly what that first afternoon needed. They took a hot, early slot with plenty of space around the crowd and made it feel like none of those things were a problem.
Sometimes a festival set doesn’t need to be bigger than that. It just needs to be fun.
19:00 – OVER HAVET: SOMBR
Sombr is ridiculously theatrical, and I still can’t decide if that’s one of the best things about him or if someone occasionally needs to tell him to calm down. At Syd For Solen, it was probably a bit of both.
I spent the first four songs taking pictures before putting my camera away and walking towards the back. By then, everyone who had been at work was finally starting to arrive, and the festival suddenly felt a lot busier. The front rows were full of young girls waiting for Sombr, many of them with their parents, and I genuinely loved seeing it. Maybe it’s because I’m a parent myself, but watching them get that excited while their parents stood next to them was sweet. I kept thinking about how special that concert probably was to some of them.
And Sombr knows how to give people a show. There were roses, a Danish flag, someone threw a plushie onstage, he spray-painted a banner, and eventually he and the band jumped into the water behind the stage. Of course they did.
Sometimes, though, it was a little too much. There were moments where the whole rock-star thing felt forced, and that’s frustrating because he really doesn’t need to try that hard. “Back to Friends” had people singing along, “12 to 12” was ridiculously fun live, and when you have songs that can get that kind of reaction, you don’t need to manufacture a moment every five minutes.
For me, it was “Undressed.” It’s a special song to me, so I knew that was going to be the one I cared about most. By then, I was standing way at the back, my camera was put away, and I could listen to it. No pictures, no thinking about the review afterward, just a song I love being played in front of me.
Maybe that’s why I ended up liking the show as much as I did. Sombr didn’t blow me away, and I still think he needs to trust himself a little more instead of constantly trying to prove that he’s a rock star. But I had fun. The atmosphere was great, the songs worked live, and watching the people at the front have the time of their lives made it even better.
I’d happily see him again. Just maybe with a little less trying to convince me to.
20:15 – UNDER HIMLEN: DIJON
Two songs into Dijon’s set, I was sold. During “Higher!” I remember zoning in and just watching what was happening onstage. The whole thing felt like a bunch of friends fucking around and seeing where the songs could go, except somehow, they always knew exactly where they were going. It was messy, loud, and chaotic in places, but never out of control. And honestly, I wasn’t expecting a Dijon show to get that noisy.
“Rodeo Clown” was another one that got me, and the setlist was even better than I had hoped for. Dijon was already high on my list going into Syd For Solen, but the songs hit differently live. They felt more emotional, especially when Dijon started pushing his voice, and I couldn’t stop watching him. The crowd was packed too, and while people were talking around, for once it didn’t bother me. I was too invested in what was happening onstage.
My only complaint is the timing. Dijon should have played later. This was not a daylight show. I wanted it darker, with the lighting having a chance to add something to all the noise and emotion happening onstage. But if my biggest complaint about a concert is that I wish I’d seen the same thing a few hours later, we’re doing well. I would see Dijon again – 5000%.
21:30 – OVER HAVET: MEDINA
I knew Medina would be fun, but I underestimated just how fun it would be to stand in a field with thousands of people screaming the same songs back at her. Thursday basically ended as one massive singalong. “Kun for mig,” “Vi to,” “Jalousi” – everyone knew everything, everyone was dancing, and there was absolutely no pretending you were too cool for Medina once those songs started.
Personally, I was waiting for “Ensom.” I said before Syd For Solen that I would hear no arguments about that song being a jam, and I was correct. It was perfect. But that was the entire show. One song would end, another one you’d forgotten you knew would start, and suddenly everyone around you was singing again. It wasn’t the kind of concert where I spent much time thinking about what Medina was doing right or wrong. I was too busy having fun.
I could have lived without the AI visuals. Actually, I would very much like to live without AI visuals altogether. But otherwise? Medina knew exactly what kind of show she was playing. It was Thursday night, everyone was finally at the festival, and thousands of people wanted to sing songs they’d known for years. So that’s what we did.
FRIDAY
By Friday, I knew my way around Syd For Solen, knew where to get food without standing in line forever, and, most importantly, had accepted that sitting down whenever possible was probably a good idea.
Friday was also the day I had been looking forward to the most. I was finally seeing Wilco after being told repeatedly I would be an idiot to miss them; we are a Turnstile family around here, and Lorde was one of those bookings where I knew exactly where I would be when she walked onstage.
So, after a surprisingly sensible amount of sleep and with Thursday still very much in my legs, I went back to Valbyparken. We had Wilco to see, Turnstile to pit to, and fall under the spell of Lorde.
17:45 – UNDER HIMLEN – WILCO
I had been told before Syd For Solen that I would be an idiot if I missed Wilco. Fine. You were right. It took me a little while to get there, though. The beginning of the set was slow, maybe a little too slow for me, but somewhere along the way it started to feel less like I was waiting for something to happen and more like I could settle into it. The guitar playing helped. Nels Cline was ridiculously good without making the whole thing feel like an excuse to show off how ridiculously good he is.
Then they played “Jesus, Etc.” That was one of the first Wilco songs I ever heard, and every time I hear it, it just completely takes over. Hearing it live was no different. There was something about standing in that crowd while it was happening that felt like a warm hug. That’s probably the best way I can describe Wilco at Syd For Solen. Nothing about the show demanded my attention, but somewhere between the slower beginning and “Jesus, Etc.,” I realized I didn’t really want to be anywhere else.
I don’t think I can properly judge Wilco from this show, though. Ten songs and an hour at a festival felt more like an introduction than the full thing, especially for a band with this much music behind them. What Syd For Solen did give me was enough to know that everyone telling me to see Wilco was right. Now I need to see them at their own headliner, because I have a feeling that’s where I’ll really understand why people love this band as much as they do.
19:00 – OVER HAVET – TURNSTILE
Turnstile was insane. I had never seen them before; I had ridiculously high expectations, and they still blew past them completely. They opened with “NEVER ENOUGH,” and from the safety of the photo pit I could see the crowd go almost immediately. A pit opened, the dust started flying, and that was it. There was no easing into this one.
Once I was done taking pictures, I moved over to the right side where I could safely watch everyone destroy themselves instead. The amount of dust coming from the crowd was ridiculous. People were disappearing into it and coming back out absolutely filthy, and somehow, I still managed to leave with my own little Syd For Solen festival tan despite staying nowhere near the pit. “BIRDS” was fucking chaos. Dork calling it apocalyptic isn’t even an exaggeration. Then you have “BLACKOUT,” “MYSTERY” and “HOLIDAY,” and I don’t think I stopped smiling through any of them.
Brendan Yates is great live, but Turnstile aren’t a band where you only watch the frontman. I kept looking somewhere else because everyone on that stage was moving. There was always something happening, and the crowd matched them the entire time. This is also a band that has gotten huge, but nothing about the show made me feel like I was watching a watered-down version of a hardcore band now playing bigger stages. It still felt like a hardcore show. People were throwing themselves around; it was aggressive as hell, and everyone looked so fucking happy.
The band also kept checking on the crowd. I noticed it several times, and I think that matters when you have a pit like that in front of you. People wanted to go hard, but they were also looking after each other. And yes, farther back, people were drinking wine while watching all of this unfold. Apparently, that’s funny because it’s Syd For Solen, but who the fuck cares? Drink your wine. You don’t have to be in the pit to enjoy Turnstile. I wasn’t, and I was having the time of my life.
The crowd ended up being one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. I can be shy, and sometimes I want to be included without really knowing how to make myself part of something. As I moved around with my camera, people noticed what I was trying to do and made space for me. They helped me through, checked that I was okay, and made me feel protected. That’s what I remember when I think about the crowd at Turnstile. From where I was standing, it looked like destruction. Once I was actually in it, everyone was lovely.
And Turnstile changed Friday. Before them, I’d been standing in the crowd at Wilco feeling like I was getting a warm hug. Then Turnstile came out and basically kicked the entire festival awake. When they finished, you could feel the adrenaline everywhere. My only real complaint is that I wanted the set to be longer, and the front looked packed to the point where I was glad I stayed out of it.
21:30 – OVER HAVET – LORDE
The last time I saw Lorde, Pure Heroine had just come out. More than a decade later, the biggest difference was obvious almost immediately: she’s become an incredibly confident performer. The way she moves around the stage, the way she carries herself, and how comfortable she looks up there is completely different from the Lorde I remember seeing back then. And damn, she’s fast. I spent parts of the show wondering how she was getting from one side of the stage to the other that quickly while still sounding that good.
I was supposed to see her in Copenhagen in December but ended up sick, so Syd For Solen finally gave me another chance. There was a photo ban, which I honestly respect, so for once there was no camera to think about either. “Green Light” is and will always be a banger; “Girl, so confusing” was epic live, but I was waiting for “Team.” I’ve always been more of a “Team” girl, and somehow, despite seeing Lorde back when Pure Heroine came out, I had never actually heard her play it live.
So yeah, “Team” did its job. Thirteen years after I first saw Lorde, I finally got to hear one of my favorite songs from that album, except this time I was standing with people I’d been friends with for years. I didn’t have some massive emotional moment, and I don’t need to pretend I did. I just got to sing a song I love with people I love being around. That’s enough. More than anything, though, Lorde impressed me with how much she’s grown as a performer. She sounded amazing, completely owned that stage, and made thirteen years feel like a very long time since I last saw her.
23:00 – UNDER HIMLEN – MARIBOU STATE
After Turnstile and Lorde, Maribou State was exactly what I needed. Turnstile had left everyone running on adrenaline, Lorde had been huge, and by the time Maribou State came on, I was ready to come down a little.
And that’s basically what the set became for me. I could still dance and enjoy the last part of Friday without feeling like I needed another massive festival moment. After two shows where I had been completely locked in, it was nice to have something that felt a little easier. Maribou State wasn’t my highlight of Friday, but they didn’t need to be. They were the right band at the right time, and a really nice way to end the day.
SATURDAY
I’m not going to lie, by Saturday I was tired. Two days of standing, walking, taking pictures, and apparently refusing to sit down for any meaningful amount of time had caught up with me. But there was also no chance I was staying home.
Saturday had Horsegirl, Blood Orange and, most importantly, Geese. I had been talking about Geese all weekend. I had told people to see Geese. I had annoyed people by talking about Geese. At this point, they had no choice but to be good.
That’s also the dangerous part about seeing a band you already love. My expectations were ridiculously high, and I knew that. There was every chance I’d spent weeks hyping up a show that could never actually live up to the version I’d created in my head.
15:30 – DE FØRSTE STRÅLER – HORSEGIRL
Horsegirl is really fucking good at being Horsegirl. They didn’t blow me away, but they did amaze me, and I don’t think those two things have to mean the same thing. Sometimes you watch a band and immediately become obsessed. Other times, you spend the set thinking, okay, these people seriously know what they’re doing. Horsegirl was the latter for me.
What kept me interested was how good they were together. No one constantly demanded my attention; I found myself watching different parts of the band and actually paying attention to what each of them was doing. They could keep things simple and then let everything get noisier without suddenly sounding like a completely different band. It was a solid way to start Saturday, especially for someone whose body was already asking why we were doing another day of this.
18:50 – OVER HAVET – BLOOD ORANGE
Blood Orange was one of the best decisions I made all weekend.
I already knew I wanted to be there, but I didn’t expect the set to end up sitting next to Turnstile as my highlight of Syd For Solen. And considering those two shows had almost nothing in common, I think that says a lot. Turnstile had me watching people disappear into clouds of dust. Blood Orange just had me completely locked in.
Dev Hynes is the kind of performer I could watch for hours. I wasn’t waiting for a huge festival moment or wondering when things would kick up another level. I didn’t need that from Blood Orange. I was happy exactly where I was, listening and watching Hynes do his thing. After two days of running around Valbyparken, taking pictures, thinking about reviews, and constantly checking where I needed to be next, getting completely sucked into a show felt pretty fucking nice.
That’s why Blood Orange ended up so high on my weekend. There wasn’t one giant moment that did it. I just loved the whole thing. I loved being there; I didn’t want my attention anywhere else, and when I started thinking about my favorite sets afterward, Blood Orange was immediately up there with Turnstile.
20:05 UNDER HIMLEN – GEESE
I love Geese. Let’s get that out of the way immediately.
I spent the entire weekend talking about them, telling people they needed to see them, and generally behaving like Geese had personally hired me to get people to that stage. My expectations were ridiculous. There was almost no possible way they could live up to the version of this concert I’d already created in my head.
They did, and that’s what I love about Geese. They’re weird. Genuinely weird. And somehow this weird little band has reached the point where thousands of people are standing in a field waiting to see what they’re going to do. Nothing about them has been cleaned up to make that happen either. They still sound like Geese. They still take songs in directions that make absolutely no sense until suddenly they do, and Cameron Winter still sounds like nobody other than Cameron Winter.
This wasn’t me standing there desperately trying to justify all the Geese propaganda I’d been spreading for three days. I didn’t have to. I was having exactly as much fun as I’d hoped I would. When you already love a band, there’s always that tiny fear that seeing them live won’t match what you’ve built them up to be. Geese didn’t give me that problem. If anything, watching them made me understand why I’ve become this annoying about them in the first place.
So, I don’t have a dramatic revelation here. I didn’t discover Geese at Syd For Solen. I didn’t suddenly understand them differently. I already fucking loved Geese. I just got confirmation that I was right.
Geese forever.
22:50 – UNDER HIMLEN – FCUKERS
By the time Fcukers came around, I had been at Syd For Solen for three days; I’d just seen Geese, and I was running on whatever was left (Red Bull) in my body at that point. Honestly, that feels like an appropriate state in which to see Fcukers.
They were the opposite of winding the festival down gently. There was no nice little goodbye where everyone slowly accepted that the weekend was over. Fcukers were there to keep the party going, and after everything I’d already seen over those three days, I appreciated the stupidity of ending it that way.
Did I have the same amount of energy as the people around me? Absolutely not. My legs had opinions. But Fcukers made it very difficult to stand there completely still, and there was something funny about watching everyone find one final bit of energy after three days in Valbyparken.
So, did Syd For Solen work?
For my first Syd For Solen, I came away pretty impressed. It’s an easy festival to be at. It’s not so big that half your day disappears trying to get from one stage to another; the crowd was pleasant, and outside of the biggest shows, I never really felt like there were too many people crammed into Valbyparken.
The lineup was probably what impressed me most. Over three days I somehow went from Amyl and the Sniffers to Sombr, Dijon and Medina, then Wilco, Turnstile, Lorde and Maribou State, before ending with Horsegirl, Blood Orange, Geese and Fcukers. And none of it felt particularly out of place. I liked that Syd For Solen didn’t seem interested in making everyone attending like the same kind of music. You could spend one hour watching people destroy themselves at Turnstile and another singing every word with Medina. There was room for both.
The practical stuff mostly worked too. Food and drink prices were very Copenhagen, so make of that what you will, but the selection was great. You could get everything from a flæskesteg sandwich to gyros, and the drinks went well beyond one sad festival beer. Palomas? Yes. A decent beer selection? Also yes. The toilets were surprisingly good too, although trying to use one immediately after a big set was a terrible idea. A few more wouldn’t hurt next year.
And then there’s the dust.
Whoever decided that putting fresh dirt down on the festival grounds was a good idea needs to get their head checked. Turnstile obviously created the worst of it, but the dust was everywhere. By the end of a show, people weren’t just sweaty; they were covered in a fine layer of Valbyparken. I joked about the Syd For Solen festival tan earlier, but seriously: please don’t make that a recurring feature.
I also have to give Syd For Solen credit for how they treated press. The conditions were great, but more importantly, it actually felt like they wanted us there. That’s not something I take for granted anymore. When you’re spending three days running around taking pictures, watching shows, and trying to cover as much as possible, being treated like you’re supposed to be there makes the job considerably easier.
So yes, I’d go back. Syd For Solen isn’t perfect, but I don’t really need a festival to be perfect. Give me a lineup that lets me watch Wilco, Turnstile, and Lorde on the same day, good food, a pleasant crowd, and people behind the scenes who actually want press there, and I’m pretty easy to convince. Just maybe leave the fucking dirt alone next year.
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