Tønder Festival at a Glance
The first Tønder Festival was held in 1975. Like all festivals, it was started by a bunch of enthusiastic young people who wanted to share their musical tastes with others, and who had the courage and the will to set up an annual festival. Tønder at that time was home to Scandinavia's oldest teacher-training institution, whose students were an extremely active part of the the town?s cultural life. The decision to launch the first festival was inspired by the success of two three-day folk music events in June and September 1974.
Since then Tønder Festival has grown and matured, now enjoying its status as one of Europe's most respected folk and roots music festivals, both from an audience and from a performer viewpoint.
The music is international folk and roots from Ireland, Scotland, England, USA, Canada and Scandinavia, among others. The music programme is of the highest calibre, and the Tønder Festival atmosphere and ambience are legendary. Tønder Festival has also an enviable reputation for top class organisation.
Tønder Festival sticks to its original musical concept. There is plenty of room for experiment, and the festival keeps abreast of developments in the music. At no time has the original musical framework been prejudiced. At no time has there been a slackening of quality in the content of the music programme.
Achieving that delicate balance between renewal, continuity and comfortable familiarity has proved essential for musicians, audience and festival staff alike.
Tønder Festival has accepted its responsibility to encourage and foster the young generation of folk musicians. They appear on stage at Tønder Festival, and they participate in the workshops, masterclasses and sharing sessions the festival offers.
We have brought many unknown young talents to Tønder Festival. Sending them off again with renewed self confidence, Tønder Festival is rewarded when they later return to play for us.
Facts
- Location: Tønder is a small town (population 12.500) - based westcoast mainland Jylland, 5 km from the German Border.
- Tønder Festival always takes place on the last full weekend in August.
- Tønder Festival is organised and run by Tønder Festival Foundation and Tønder Festival Association.
- Tønder Festival office has 4 full-time employees in administration and music booking.
- Tønder Festival is managed by a board and a volunteer body of around 2000.
- Tønder Festival sells about 23,000 concert tickets every year.
- Tønder Festival's nine stages present 28 concerts in all.
- Tickets are for single events. Concert venues range in capacity from 180 to 2200 seats. Some venues have both seats and standing room. The two biggest venues, marquees, are on the festival site, the rest spread out over the town of Tønder.
- Tønder Festival Foundation runs the daughter company Millstream Records, a unique net-based music shop, specialising in selling folk and roots music from the whole world.
- Tønder Festival's Friends is a company that runs the music venue Hagge's Music Pub, where there are folk and roots concerts all year.
- We are happy to announce that H.R.H. Princess Marie in 2009 has become Patron of The Tønder Festival.