A private fundraising effort has ensured that Sølund Music Festival, a festival dedicated to people with developmental disabilities, can take place this year despite earlier financial challenges and the threat of closure. The festival, known as the world’s largest of its kind, has experienced a significant drop in ticket sales, putting its future at risk. Jonathan Löw, the initiator behind the successful fundraising, reveals that they have raised over 275,000 Danish kroner, surpassing the goal of 250,000 kroner. “It’s absolutely fantastic and overwhelming,” he says. The funds have been contributed by both individuals and small businesses and were collected in less than four days.
The festival, scheduled from June 11th to June 13th, has previously attracted between 10,000 and 12,000 guests, but in recent years, the number has decreased to around 7,500. This is primarily due to difficulties in finding companions for the developmentally disabled guests, as many residential facilities struggle to find substitutes. Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt (Liberal Party) has also become involved in the matter and announced that the Ministry of Culture will explore options to provide financial support for the festival’s realization this year. “It is important that we support such initiatives that include everyone in the cultural life,” he states.
This year’s music program features well-known names like Infernal, Benjamin Hav, and Birthe Kjær, and the festival is described by the organizers as “the world’s largest, most loving, and most important music festival for people with developmental disabilities.” Despite the festival’s immediate rescue, the organizers point out that there are still financial challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the festival’s long-term survival.