Roskilde Festival is facing criticism for allegedly shifting its focus away from music and broader cultural appeal toward a more narrowly defined, left-leaning identity. Critics argue this shift is alienating its traditional audience and impacting ticket sales. The festival director, however, refutes the idea that Roskilde is primarily a music festival, describing it as “the largest youth cultural gathering point we have in Europe.”

Concerns have been raised about the festival’s non-musical program, which some perceive as outdated and overly focused on topics favored by older, left-leaning activists rather than reflecting the interests of today’s youth. Examples cited include events with norm-critical doctors, queer meditations, and debates on topics like intersectional feminism and postcolonial theory.

These choices are seen as potentially alienating a broader range of young people, particularly those with more conservative or liberal viewpoints. This is supported by the fact that the Liberal Alliance won the most recent school elections with over 30 percent of the votes.

The debate extends beyond Roskilde Festival, encompassing broader societal trends. Other opinion pieces touched on topics such as perceived overreactions to scare scenarios by politicians, an excessive focus on risk aversion, and a re-evaluation of feminism’s current direction, with one writer expressing concern about the labeling of moderate viewpoints as far-right.