Free pizza rolls, thought-provoking signs, engaging booths, and striking costumes—if you were at Roskilde Festival this year, you likely couldn't miss the activists from Dyrenes Alliance. At an event with around 130,000 people, we seized the opportunity to spotlight the animals, spark countless conversations, and push to change the debate. What better place than a hotspot for music, activism, and celebration to engage others and raise awareness about what happens in the industry!
“Try VR and get a free vodka shot!”
Every day of the festival, guests found activists on the streets ready to talk; often at a table offering a vodka shot or a glass of rosé if they were willing to watch Meet Your Meat or a five-minute VR experience about the dairy industry. Activists were there to support festivalgoers shocked to confront the reality. It's always tough to witness pigs having their throats slit for a strip of bacon or calves ripped from their mothers so people can steal their milk. We offered advice on coping with these harsh truths and a vodka shot to wash them down.
Die-in Against the Fishing Industry
On Monday, as rain began, we saw the chance to highlight the countless animals living underwater—until humans pluck them out to kill or use them for entertainment. To raise awareness about fish, activists staged a die-in, donning makeupthat mimicked fish scales, drenched in theatrical blood, and wrapped in ghost nets symbolizing the massacre of sea life. The cold action drew many to stop and engage deeply in conversations about the fishing industry and its brutal impact on ocean individuals. The demonstration was repeated Thursday during a sushi chefs’ workshop on “sustainably caught fish,” which actually focused on environmental care, not the welfare of the creatures killed for flavor. Once again, the act gained major attention and sparked vital discussions!
Zoos Are Prisons for Animals
Early Wednesday, activists rose and dropped a banner from the ZOO tower: a camp glorifying wild animals locked in tiny cages for humans to gawk at. We highlighted this with a large banner reading “Prison for Animals” cleverly placed to complete the ZOO logo. We snapped memorable photos and let the banner hang so festivalgoers might ponder it the next morning through their hangovers.
“Sign up for the vegan Challenge and get a free pizza roll!”
At the heart of Dream City, a cozy community kitchen was perfect for making vegan pizza and cinnamon rolls—and even better for convincing hungry festivalgoers to eat with compassion and join the vegan Challenge. Wednesday afternoon, activists baked up a storm and invited potential veganers to chat about breaking harmful habits. A huge win for the animals!
Animal Rights March
Friday was Animal Rights March day! Activists crafted striking signs, grabbed their soundboxes, and marched through the festival to the tunes of Ingen Kommentar’s new hit “Burn Down Danish Crown,” plus classics like “Protein” by TK the Artist and “Mælk” by Asger B. With high spirits and chants, we raised awareness for the animals and made those standing in the line for pork roast sandwiches rethink their choices—maybe opt for a burger from Mikuna or Eden Jaxx instead.
Go vegan Like Lizzo!
The talented and fierce vegan artist Lizzo closed the Orange Stage on Saturday night! Just before the concert, activists handed out flyers to Lizzo fans, urging them to Go Vegan Like Lizzo og en promovering af hendes sang, Good as Hell, som hun har doneret til PETAs kampagne, ”Eat good, Feel good”. De begejstrede fans tog imod aktivisterne med åbne arme, og snakkede engageret med hinanden om Lizzos mega seje livsstil.
Serve Plant-Based Food, Roskilde!
The festival offered a huge variety of food stalls. Unfortunately, only a small portion were vegan. We had Eden Jaxx, Mikuna, The Organic Boho, and a vegan nachos stand, plus some vegan options at other stalls. Coffee Cow served only oat milk for coffee. Still, we saw longer lines for the vegan stalls and many vegan dishes sold out in the festival’s last days. Demand is clear, Roskilde—next time, go fully vegan!
See You Next Year!
After a week asking people to leave the fish alone, urging ZOO to stop caging wild animals, encouraging hungry guests to eat food instead of animals, and inspiring fans to become veganers like Lizzo, we packed up and spread out across Denmark for activism elsewhere. Our presence at the festival undoubtedly sparked many thoughts among attendees and maybe even created more veganers. We look forward to seeing you as we fight for the animals again next festival <3
Want to read more? Check out our vegan guide to festivals here.
