Roskilde Festival highlights gender balance in this year’s lineup. The festival has chosen to focus on gender balance in its program this year, with a significant representation of female artists. According to the festival’s program director, Anders Wahrén, this is a conscious effort to promote a better balance between men, women, and other genders on the festival’s stages.
More than half of the performers at this year’s festival are women. Wahrén emphasizes that this can have a positive effect that can make a difference in the music industry, where gender balance is often skewed. “It is an issue that is present throughout our industry,” he says, adding that it is something Roskilde Festival cannot solve alone, but they also cannot ignore it.
Gender balance has not been a separate goal for Roskilde Festival, but is part of a broader focus on diversity, which also includes genre and geographical diversity. This year, the festival presents 201 music acts, of which around 20 percent are international artists.
Last year’s theme, utopia, is repeated this year with a focus on how a better world can look. This theme is also reflected in the festival’s program. Anders Wahrén expresses that better representation on the stages can inspire new generations to engage in music and art, regardless of their gender or demographic background.
Music critic Kjartan Stolberg from the cultural media Soundvenue describes this year’s program as “diverse” and notes that it encompasses many different currents. He especially highlights the festival’s RnB field and points to the headliner SZA as a crucial and important artist in the genre.
With this approach, Roskilde Festival hopes to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive music scene that reflects the diversity of society.