10 things to look forward to in Copenhagen in 2026

In 2026, the construction of a unique public water culture centre is expected to be completed. Designed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma & Associates and with Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter as the executive architect, the 5,000 m² water culture centre will boast brick stubs that appear to float on a light glass construction.

The water culture centre is situated on Papirøen – the Paper Island – in Copenhagen’s inner harbour near Holmen and Christianshavn. The main attraction will be an outdoor pool located between the building’s roof surfaces. The building will also be connected to a harbour pool in the northeast corner of the island, and it will house a wellness centre and community facilities.

The Paper Island was constructed as an artificial island more than 300 years ago, and has been a shipyard, a military hospital an arsenal and a warehouse for coal and paper. Being a warehouse for paper led to the name of the island today, Paper Island.

The exact date of the opening of the water culture centre is yet to be announced.

For those dreaming about participating in a world championship and receiving their very own world championship medal, now might be the chance.

Copenhagen will host the World Athletics Road Running Championships in 2026, attracting elite runners from around the world. Anyone can participate in the race, with medals awarded to all finishers.

It’s the official world championship on the half-marathon, 5km, and one-mile distances, and up to 65,000 participants are expected to join.

The road running races will start and finish in Østerbro, Copenhagen, on 19-20 September 2026.

Starting in May 2026, a new train connection will go from Prague to Copenhagen via Berlin.

The new direct train will have a journey time of seven hours between Copenhagen and Berlin, and 11 hours between Copenhagen and Prague. Other planned stops in Germany include Dresden and Hamburg, and a seasonal night-time connection will also be offered.

The Czech railway’s new ComfortJet trains will transport passengers on the new route, offering an on-board restaurant, Wi-Fi, a children’s cinema, adjustable seats, and space for 12 bicycles.

The connection between Prague and Copenhagen is the first of a total of ten pilot projects supported by the European Commission to promote cross-border rail connections, and it’s the result of a collaboration between DB (Deutsche Bahn), DSB (Danish railways) and ČD (Czech railways).

On April 15th, a night train connection will also run directly from Basel, Switzerland, to Copenhagen and Malmö called EuroNight. This marks the return of the night train to Denmark, a result of a collaboration between the national Swiss railway company SBB and the private German railway company RDC, with three weekly departures in each direction.

The direct train line linking Copenhagen to Prague and Berlin will begin running on 1st of May 2026, and the connection between Basel and Copenhagen will begin on the 15th of April.

In 2026, Copenhagen Sprint will return, with professional cyclists competing on the roads in and around the capital region.

A new chapter in Danish cycling history was written last year, when the very first UCI World Tour cycling race took off. More than 250,000 spectators lined the roads to cheer on the racers, who competed over two intense days.

Copenhagen has repeatedly been named the world’s best cycling city, and there are five times more bicycles than cars. In 2022, Copenhagen even hosted the Grand Départ as the start city of the Tour de France.

The exact route for Copenhagen Sprint 2026 has yet to be made public, but both men and women will compete in the race, which last year took the elite cyclists to Roskilde, where it started, and to Copenhagen, where it ended with a circuit.

Copenhagen Sprint will take place in and around Copenhagen on 13-14 June 2026.

One of the oldest amusement parks in the world will set the scene of The Michelin Guide Ceremony for the Nordic Countries in 2026. Tivoli Gardens will be hosting the award show, which is part of a two-year partnership between the Food Organisation of Denmark, Visit Odsherred, which hosted the awards in 2025, and Wonderful Copenhagen.

A mix of chefs running Michelin-starred restaurants, journalists, influencers, partners, and industry leaders will be invited to the ceremonies, during which the new Michelin Stars, Green Stars, and Special Awards will be unveiled.

In 2025, a total of 30 stars was awarded to 19 restaurants in Copenhagen. Noma, Jordnær and Geranium were at the top of the list as the only restaurants in Denmark with three stars, while AOC, Kadeau, Alchemist, Kong Hans, and Koan all hold two stars.

Despite opening its doors in 1843, Tivoli Gardens remains attuned to culinary trends. From the Japanese Pagoda – which welcomes rotating pop-ups by world-renowned guest chefs – to the annual Tivoli Food Festival and an ambitious partnership with the Copenhagen Hospitality College.

The exact date of the Michelin Guide Ceremony for the Nordic Countries is yet to be announced.

The 600-year jubilee of Elsinore as a market town will be celebrated in 2026. Elsinore is placed in North-Eastern Denmark and is part of the Visit Copenhagen area. Throughout the year, there will be festivities in Elsinore focusing on both the town’s historical past and on the future.

In the first months of the year, there will be light installations in the harbour area known as ‘Kulturhavnen’. At Pentecost in May, it’s possible to enjoy 100 wooden ships in the harbour as the association of wooden ships will be gathering.

The peak celebration of the jubilee will be the 2nd of June 2026. The day will start with a communal breakfast at Stengade in Elsinore, which the entire town is invited to. Afterwards there will be street theatre, concerts, communal singing and more, as well as a large area for children focusing on play and creativity.

Being named as a market town by the Danish King Erik of Pomerania came with its privileges 600 years ago, and it was established for all ships to stop in Elsinore to get their cargo taxed and pay a toll to the Danish Crown – known as The Sound Dues.

The light festival around the harbour area of Elsinore takes place from 16 January-8 February. Enjoy 100 wooden ships on the 21–25 May and the big celebration day of the 600-year jubilee on the 2nd of June 2025.

2026

• Locke will open at Postbyen (the postal city) in central Copenhagen. 234 rooms in two rotunda towers.
• Cori Hotel, a luxury riviera hotel in Hornbæk, North of Copenhagen is set to open in 2026.

2025

• Ottilia Heritage is expected to open in December 2025 and will feature 14 exclusive suites located in Maltmagasinet, within the Carlsberg District.
• Hotel Hans is located on the border of Frederiksberg and Nørrebro. It has 91 rooms and opened in November, 2025. It combines the elegance of Frederiksberg with the edge of Nørrebro.
• 1 Hotel opened in August, 2025. It occupies the former Skt. Petri in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter. The building first opened in 1935 as Daells Varehus, a modern department store, and was later transformed into the Skt. Petri Hotel in 2003. Today, it houses 282 rooms and suites.
• Hotel Petra opened in June 2025. It has 40 rooms and is a collaboration between the Danish design company &Tradition and Copenhagen Design Hotels.
• Hotel Frihavnen opened in June, 2025, in Nordhavn. The property features 28 rooms, blending functionality with a minimalist aesthetic.

The Winter Jazz Festival is a nationwide event that began in 2001, marking its 25th anniversary in 2026.

Approximately 600 concerts will be performed in over 180 different venues across Denmark between 30 January-28 February. More than 50 of those venues are in the Copenhagen area.

While visiting the Danish capital in February, it’s also possible to experience Winter Pride in Copenhagen, which is returning for its fourteenth year, making it Europe’s longest-running Winter Pride. It runs from 16-22 February, and the program will include debates, workshops, social events such as drag bingo, as well as the Winter Pride Party.

In the summer of 2026, Copenhagen Pride will celebrate its 30th anniversary, with events throughout the year marking the jubilee, which is celebrated with a 90s theme.

Winter Jazz is from 30 January-28 February, and Winter Pride is from 16-22 February. Pride Week in Copenhagen will take place from 8-16 August.

The Danish architect and furniture designer Verner Panton (1926-1998) would have turned 100 years in 2026.

Verner Panton was a rebel of his time with colourful designs in plastic and glass fiber, and he was considered to be provocative with his creations.

Iconic designs, such as the VP Globe pendant, the Panton Chair, and the Flowerpot can still be purchased in design shops around the city today. They can also be enjoyed at the Design Museum Denmark’s permanent Danish Modern exhibition.

The Panton Chair is an S-shaped plastic chair and it’s the world’s first moulded plastic chair. It was included in the Danish Culture Canon and is considered an iconic Danish Design piece.

Also at the Danish Architecture Centre, you can get a historic overview of Danish design and architecture spanning back from the Viking times until today. In their ‘So Danish!’ exhibition Verner Panton’s design is also on display.

For those interested in sleeping in a colourful and designled room, there is an entire suite dedicated and furnished as a tribute to Verner Panton at Hotel Alexandra in central Copenhagen. It’s called ‘The Colour Vision Suite’.

• Kong Hans Bakery will open in December 2025 in Østerbro, and it is a bakery by the two Michelin-starred restaurant Kong Hans. 
• Noma Projects Shop opened in October 2025 in the ‘noma garden greenhouse’ right at the doorsteps of the world-famous restaurant. The shop is selling Noma Projects condiments and freshly brewed coffee from Noma Kaffe as well as beans to bring home with you.
• ESSE opened in Nordhavn in October and is a restaurant by the former noma chef Matt Orlando, who previously had Amass. The restaurant’s name, ESSE, a Latin word meaning “to be,” “to reflect,” and “to exist.” 
• Magnolia is the name of Denmark’s National Gallery’s renovated café, which re-opened in September 2025. Here you can enjoy baked treats from their own in-house bakery, a DIY hotdog with organic pork for the kids or a pasta made from surplus bread.
• According to one national newspaper in Denmark, the pistachio ice cream from Dillon even beats the best kinds from Italy. The ice cream place located in Østerbro opened in September and makes Italian gelato from organic ingredients. 
• Next Door at Propaganda is serving a menu consisting of dishes that the head chef Youra Kim feels in the mood for and what’s in season, and it’s been called the best Korean food in the city. The intimate 21-seat restaurant opened in September 2025.