A major Nets payment system failure significantly impacted the Grøn Koncert (Green Concert) in Aarhus and the Samsø Festival on Saturday evening, causing widespread issues with card payments. The breakdown forced both events, which operate on a cashless basis, to implement emergency payment solutions.

The disruption at Grøn Koncert began around 7 p.m. and continued until the event’s close at 9:30 p.m. Festival staff worked to enable payments via physical cards where possible, and guests were encouraged to use MobilePay after a conversion process. According to Theis Petersen, head of fundraising for the Muskelsvindfonden (Muscular Dystrophy Foundation), the organizer of Grøn Koncert, the situation was handled calmly by attendees.

Despite the inconvenience, Petersen does not anticipate a return to cash payments at Grøn Koncert, emphasizing the overall efficiency of the cashless system when it functions correctly. He acknowledged the vulnerability of relying solely on digital payments but maintained that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Similarly, the Samsø Festival experienced difficulties due to the Nets breakdown. Thomas Jakobsen, chairman of the board for Samsø Festival, stated that staff adapted by shifting to MobilePay payments. Jakobsen also affirmed the festival’s commitment to remaining cashless, citing the increasing challenges associated with handling cash and the advantages of not needing large cash holdings.

Nets has issued a press release ruling out external malicious influence as the cause of the breakdown, but the specific reason for the system failure remains under investigation. The payment company is working to determine the root cause of the widespread disruption.