Roskilde Festival launches a new initiative: Sign language interpretation for concerts. Roskilde Festival introduces a new initiative aimed at making music experiences more accessible for individuals with hearing loss or deafness. Two concerts this year will be accompanied by a sign language interpreter. The first concert, taking place on Friday, will feature the Danish-German artist Greta.
Mika Christoffersen, head of diversity, equality, and accessibility at the festival, explains that this is a performance interpretation rather than a traditional word-for-word translation. The interpreter will be prepared for the music, the artist, the atmosphere, and the themes of the songs in order to convey the entire concert experience. The interpreter will be positioned on one side of the stage, making them visible to the audience.
Greta Louise Schenk Münster, better known as Greta, did not hesitate when asked to participate in the initiative. “I think the festival creates such a great sense of community when you’re in the crowd. I want to create a show that is inclusive for everyone, where they can feel welcome and seen,” she says to Ritzau. She adds that it is fantastic if this makes some audience members feel more included.
According to Mika Christoffersen, there is a growing demand for this type of concert, including from the Danish Deaf Association. “We will therefore test whether people will use it and benefit from it,” she says. After the concerts, the festival will evaluate the initiative by collecting feedback from the audience to determine whether it should become a permanent part of the festival in the future.
Greta will perform on Friday on the Gaia stage, while the other concert with Danish artist Barbro will take place on the Avalon stage on Saturday. Festival guests can look forward to a weekend where music is made more accessible for everyone, and where the community at the festival is strengthened through inclusive initiatives.