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WHAT CHANGES IN DENMARK

KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in August 2024?

The return of politics, back to school and the last of the festival and summer sporting season. Here’s what changes and what takes place in Denmark this August.

Published: 26 July 2024 15:08 CEST
Updated: 31 July 2024 14:09 CEST
Pencil case and welcome to school sheet
The new school year begins for many on 12th August. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

More politics on the table with holidays over 

July is usually the quietest month of the year in terms of political news, with parliament on holiday for the entire month. That changes in August, so some political news is likely.

One change to be aware of is that parliament is likely to pass the bill to increase Danish citizenship fees this autumn. Denmark’s Ministry of Immigration and Integration announced in June that the government will raise the fee for applying for Danish citizenship from 4,000 kroner to 6,000 kroner so that it “more closely reflects the costs of case processing”.

READ MORE: How does Denmark’s citizenship application fee compare to other countries?

Back to school

Most schools in Denmark start their new school term on Monday 12th August, with teachers returning slightly earlier to prepare. 

Kindergartens and work places will see normal service resumed slightly earlier as many people finish their summer holiday at the end of July. The return to work will come with the new routine of recording any deviations from agreed or scheduled working hours, a new law which came into force on July 1st.

Once the daily school run is underway, parents and children can look forward to their next break during the Autumn holiday (efterårsferie), which runs from October 12th to 20th. The autumn 2024 term ends with the Christmas holiday (juleferie), starting December 21st through to January 5th, 2025.

Dates will differ for private schools. All municipalities post the school term dates on their websites – see Odense Municipality’s website here for an example.

READ MORE: Why do the Danes take such long summer holidays?

The last of the festival season

July’s weather was not exactly festival-friendly, but there’s still hope for those who enjoy the summer vibe of music festivals and major sporting events.

August music festivals include the electronic festival Stella Polaris in Aarhus (4th August) and Frederiksberg (11th August) and right at the end of the month, the more upbeat Strøm Festival in Copenhagen (22nd-25th August).

There’s also the Copenhagen Opera Festival, which takes place from August 16th-25th. The opera festival includes classic operas interpreted with a contemporary vision, newly commissioned productions, world premieres and classics with world-renowned soloists, conductors and directors.

Smukfest, which is second in size to Roskilde, runs over five days, with three warm-up days from August 4th-11th. Located in a forest in Skanderborg, Smukfest has over 200 acts across 6 stages, including the main stage set in a national amphitheatre, surrounded by old beech trees. 

This year’s artists include Diana Ross, Example, Sam Smith, The Prodigy, Faithless, The Darkness, VETO, Zara Larsson, Moonjam, Ankerstjerne, Mads Langer, Rasmus Seebach, Sanne Salomonsen with The Antonelli Orchestra, Abba tribute, Queen Machine and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

READ MORE: Five music festivals happening in Denmark this summer

Final summer sporting events

The country’s traditional pro cycling race Postnord Denmark Tour, runs from August 14th-18th and takes in some of the country’s best-known routes, including some spotted during the 2022 Tour de France Grand Depart.

And the big one – the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (De Olympiske Lege or simply OL in Danish), which begins on July 26th and ends on August 11th. 

Live action will be broadcast by both DR and TV2, the two national broadcasters, and you’ll also be able to watch the games using Max, the Nordic streaming service which combines Discovery and HBO.

At the last Olympics in Tokyo, Denmark won 11 medals (3 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze) across cycling, canoeing, badminton, handball, rowing, sailing, shooting and swimming, so the team will be hoping to match or better that tally.

READ MORE: How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics on TV in Denmark

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WHAT CHANGES IN DENMARK

KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in September 2024?

Potentially cheaper mortgages, SAS switches network alliance, more politics and work permit rule update. Here’s what you can expect in Denmark this September.

Published: 26 August 2024 13:07 CEST
Updated: 1 September 2024 09:52 CEST
KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in September 2024?

Potential for lower interest rates in Denmark

Falling inflation in the United States could make a difference for homeowners in Denmark in the coming month.

Experts have speculated that the US could reduce its interest rate in September, which is likely to eventually means lower interest rates on mortgages in Denmark.

Denmark’s central bank, Nationalbanken, follows the interest rate policy of the European Central Bank (ECB) but is nevertheless influenced by monetary policy in the US.

That is because interest rates in the US affect financial markets and thereby how bank advisors in Denmark assess mortgage applications.

Inflation in the United States fell from 3.3 percent to 3.0 percent between May and June, while prices were up by 0.1 percent according to the latest figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This has increased the likelihood of the of the US’ Federal Reserve deciding to cut interest rates.

READ ALSO: Why falling US inflation could mean lower interest on your Danish mortgage

SAS completes move to SkyTeam from Star Alliance

Earlier this year, Scandinavia’s SAS airline announced it would be moving to SkyTeam from the Star Alliance. The decision, which takes effect on August 31st, has knock-on effects on routes, points and lounges for travellers from Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

SAS co-founded the Star Alliance, through which it was tied to 28 airlines, including Germany’s Lufthansa, the US’s United, Singapore Airlines, and Air China. 

A restructuring at the airline, which included a significant investment from Air France-KLM, led SAS to exit the Star Alliance network of airlines and join SkyTeam.

READ ALSO: Aarhus Airport to get easier connections with new code-sharing deal

The new partnership allows SAS to sell tickets across other SkyTeam airlines’ networks.

Because SkyTeam is a smaller alliance, with 19 members to the Star Alliance’s 26, the switch can reduce the number of destinations SAS can serve though its alliance, although in an April press release, the airline said it would still be able to offer customers flights to 1,060 destinations. 

SkyTeam members offer around 750 lounges, with six dedicated SkyTeam lounges in airports around the world. This is slightly fewer than the roughly 1,000 lounges operated by Star Alliance members. 

Minor rule change on work permit application format

From September 1st, work permit applications will need to state the salary being offered by the Danish employer in kroner, the Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), which processes applications, said in a statement.

Previously, applicants could give the salary in other currencies when stating how much they would be paid under the job offer for which they need a Danish work permit.

“If the salary is stated in a foreign currency in the employment contract, there must be… an addendum [appendix, ed.] to the contract stating the salary in Danish kroner,” SIRI said in the statement.

This does not apply to applications submitted prior to September 1st.

More domestic politics

The new parliamentary year doesn’t begin until October, but you can expect domestic politics to take up more of the daily news agenda with politicians now back from their summer holidays and party conferences at the end of August.

Talks about next year’s budget will probably ramp up, with the government normally presenting its draft financial plan for the coming year around the end of August.

A new strategy for stronger ties with Africa has already been announced, while Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democratic party has launched a new position on the retirement age.

Early autumn events

There are plenty of events to keep you entertained during the first month of autumn, catering to various tastes.

For example, international children’s film festival Buster starts in Copenhagen on September 21st, filling the capital’s cinemas with Danish and international movies for kids.

The Fredensborg Slotsmarked (Fredensborg Palace Market) on September 14th brings local foods and drink, art, design, antiques, furniture, clothes and toys to a large flea market on the doorstep of the royal residence in northern Zealand.

The Copenhagen Half Marathon (September 15th) usually brings a great atmosphere to the city’s streets, not to mention around 25,000 runners. The route is fast: a men’s world record was set by Kenyan athlete Geoffrey Kamworor during the 2019 edition. If you’re feeling spontaneous and want to participate, you might be lucky enough to grab a last-minute bib through the event’s official entry exchange service.

Is there anything you think should be added to this article? Let us know in the comments.

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