What can you bring into a Danish festival? Bag rules in 2026

Most major Danish festivals search bags at the gate, and at some venues, the size of your bag determines whether you get in at all. The rules vary. Copenhell has a strict size limit. Smukfest and Roskilde put everything through a security check. Heartland tells you to leave the big bag at home. Here is what you can and cannot bring into five major Danish festivals in 2026.

The short version

A small to medium daypack passes at most Danish festivals. Glass bottles, outside beverages, fireworks, professional camera gear, and weapons are banned across the board. If your bag is too large or contains something that cannot come through, you have two options: walk it back to your car, or put it in an Event Locker at the gate.

Festival bag rules in 2026

Copenhell

Copenhell is held each June at the Refshaleoen waterfront in Copenhagen. The bag rule is the strictest of the five: festival goers may bring a small bag no bigger than the size of your back onto the site. Anything larger needs to go into a locker before you enter.

Items you cannot bring in:

• Umbrellas (they block views at the stages)
• Personal food or drinks purchased outside the venue
• Chairs, tables, or any seating
• System cameras, mirror reflex cameras, and tripods
• Audio recording equipment without press accreditation
• Weapons, pepper spray, and fireworks

An empty plastic water bottle is fine; you can fill it at on-site stations. Compact cameras, GoPros, and phones are allowed.

Volt's Event Lockers are at the venue. If your bag is turned away at the gate, storage is right there. For the full picture of what Volt runs at Copenhell, including charging, see Copenhell lockers and charging: how the Volt bundle works.

Smukfest

Smukfest takes place in the beech forest outside Skanderborg each August. Every entrance runs a full bag search. The festival's rules do not state a bag size limit by dimension, but security can refuse any item they consider unsuitable, and all bags must pass the check before you enter.

Items you cannot bring in:

• Weapons
• Animals
• Professional cameras, video equipment, or drones
• Drinks not bought on the festival grounds
• Glass bottles
• Drugs
• Flags, banners, or banner poles
• Chairs or any seating furniture
• Fireworks or laser pointers

For most festival goers, the practical approach is to leave the large rucksack at camp and carry a smaller bag through the gate. If you are day-tripping and need to store gear, Volt's Event Lockers are on site. See day locker or full-festival locker at Smukfest: how to choose for the options.

Roskilde Festival

Roskilde is Denmark's largest camping festival, held each July. Bag checks happen at all entrances. The check is described as voluntary, but refusing means you do not get in. Anything prohibited will be confiscated at the gate.

Items you cannot bring in:

• Glass bottles or glass packaging of any kind
• Bags of empty bottles or cans
• Building materials and tools
• Tents larger than 9 m²
• Lightweight pavilions sold as assembly kits
• Gang-affiliated clothing
• Weapons
• Generators and solar panel systems
• Pyrotechnics
• Drones (without prior permission from the organisers)
• Spray paint
• Animals, except service dogs

Roskilde publishes the full prohibited items list on their website. There is no stated general bag size limit for the main site, but large bags are not allowed in the pit areas in front of the Orange Stage and Arena.

Heartland Festival

Heartland is held at Egeskov Castle on Funen each June. The official practical info is direct: "We recommend letting the large bag stay home. If you still take a large bag with you, expect to stand in a longer queue for inspection." There is no stated size limit, but the message is clear.

Heartland is fully cashless: only card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay work on site.

Items you cannot bring in:

• Glass bottles
• Chairs
• Umbrellas on the festival grounds (bring a raincoat instead)
• Pets
• Professional cameras or video equipment without press accreditation

Volt provides Event Lockers at Heartland. The lockers measure 30 x 30 x 50 cm and can be booked before the festival through HeartShop. Your locker number and PIN code arrive by email and SMS before you travel.

NorthSide

NorthSide runs for three days in Aarhus each June. The festival does not publish a specific bag size limit, but Volt's Event Lockers are positioned at the main entrance so festival goers can drop off excess kit before going in. Lockers can be booked online on the NorthSide site. Three sizes are available, from a single backpack up to six to eight jackets worth of space.

What every Danish festival bans

These items are refused at every major Danish festival, regardless of bag size:

• Glass bottles and glass packaging
• Weapons (including pepper spray)
• Professional cameras, DSLR and mirror reflex cameras, and tripods without press accreditation
• Fireworks and pyrotechnics
• Drones (without organiser approval)

Outside food and drinks are banned at venue-based festivals like Copenhell. At camping festivals like Roskilde and Smukfest, you can bring your own supplies into camp, but outside drinks are not allowed once you are in the stage areas.

The bag strategy that works

A medium daypack in the 20 to 25 litre range works at most festivals. Keep it to the smaller end for Copenhell. Leave glass, chairs, professional cameras, and outside food at home or at camp.

If you need to carry more than fits that kind of bag, book an Event Locker. Volt's lockers are 30 x 30 x 50 cm. That is enough for a jacket, a phone, a powerbank, a wallet, and a small bag, with room left over. You open the locker from your phone using a personal PIN that you can share with friends and family.

At festivals like Heartland and NorthSide you can book before you arrive and go straight to your locker on the day. At Copenhell the lockers are at the gate, so if your bag is turned away, storage is steps away.

Full details are on the Event Lockers service page, or email hello@getvolt.dk to ask about a specific festival.

FAQ

Can I bring alcohol into a Danish festival?

In the camping areas, yes, as long as it is not in glass containers. On the inner site, outside drinks are usually not allowed. Smukfest explicitly bans beverages not purchased on site. Check the official page for whichever festival you are attending, as the rules differ.

What happens if my bag is too big at Copenhell?

Copenhell's bag rule is enforced at the entrance. If your bag is larger than what fits on your back, you will need to store it before going in. Volt's Event Lockers are at the venue for exactly this situation.

Can I bring a camera to a Danish festival?

Compact cameras, GoPros, and phones are fine. System cameras, mirror reflex cameras, tripods, and professional video equipment require press accreditation at all five festivals listed above.

What size is a Volt Event Locker?

30 x 30 x 50 cm. It fits a jacket, a phone, cables, a powerbank, a wallet, and a small bag. Access is via a personal PIN code on your phone, and you can share the code with your group.

Which Danish festivals have Volt Event Lockers?

Volt operates Event Lockers at Copenhell, Smukfest, Heartland, and NorthSide, along with over 120 festivals and events across Europe in 2026. Check getvolt.dk for the full list and to see availability at a specific event.