Winter in Tivoli lights up Copenhagen, encompassing not only the Copenhagen Light Festival, but also Valentine’s Day and the Danish Shrovetide tradition. The season runs from 31 January to 23 February. All rides are open in this dazzling winter wonderland and the plethora of restaurants with romantic Tivoli views are perfect places to enjoy Nordic cuisine and celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Copenhagen may be cold in February, but together with Copenhagen Light Festival Tivoli warms up the city with sustainable lights, transforming the Gardens into an enchanting winter wonderland featuring jolly snowmen, glittering frost crystals and ethereal light. Tivoli presents spectacular light installations that are unique to Winter in Tivoli, which runs from 31 January to 23 February. This includes Hans Christian Andersen’s eleven Wild Swans glowing in the dark on the Tivoli Lake, Copenhagen’s prettiest ice-skating rink with special effects (the ice interacts with the skaters), enchanting light shows and the most romantic Valentine’s Day setting in Copenhagen.
Only at Winter in Tivoli: laser light show
Visitors can experience the glow of thousands of twinkling lights in the Gardens and a variety of light installations. The Main Walk of the Tivoli Gardens will be sprinkled with interactive stardust that varies in colour depending on the height of the guest. Tivoli’s Lighting Designer Jesper Kongshaug illuminates the sky with a new laser light show. There will also be illuminations on the Tivoli Lake, created especially for Winter in Tivoli. The illuminations consist of two shows: one inspired by Nordic mythology and the other by Jacob Gade’s famous tango, “Tango Jalousie”. A laser will shoot into space once again, linking Nimb Hotel with Refshaleøen, outside of Tivoli, to illustrate the close connection between Tivoli Gardens and the city of Copenhagen.
Sustainable LED lighting
The twinkling lights are green and sustainable thanks to LED lighting. All the lights at Winter in Tivoli are LED lights of some kind, and the season’s new installations have also been created using LED lights. Tivoli reuses all light chains from Winter in Tivoli, so the same chains will return next year. All the LED lights are of a particular quality that makes them last longer – something that is important to Tivoli’s lighting designer, Jesper Kongshaug. Jesper’s designs can be found worldwide: among other things, he created the Northern Lights effect at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC, seen in the opening credits of the Netflix series House of Cards.
Tivoli’s Lighting Designer Jesper Kongshaug talks about Winter in Tivoli 2020:
“The blue shades of the winter theme add a new dimension to the February chill with their brittle, frozen lights that are Tivoli’s interpretation of Nordic winter. We use the latest LED technology to create the lighting in the Gardens. We also work with Denmark’s leading graphic artists and lighting artists on a range of individual works and experiences, some of which speak to humour and enchantment, while others inspire reflection and wonder.“
Copenhagen Light Festival – a good reason to visit Copenhagen
Tivoli’s lighting designer, Jesper Kongshaug, is new creative director of the Copenhagen Light Festival in 2020, and Tivoli and the Copenhagen Light Festival are working together closely for the third time to create light in the city in February. Lonely Planet put Copenhagen at the top of its list of cities to visit in 2019 and February’s Winter in Tivoli and Copenhagen Light Festival were cited as reasons why people should visit Copenhagen. Read more about the light festival here https://copenhagenlightfestival.org/festival-2020/
Tasty Winter delights
With Tivoli’s restaurants promising romantic dinners, what better way to get in the mood in the days leading up to 14 February than by strolling through the Gardens, where love is in the air. From 31 January to 6 February you can enjoy Tivoli Dining Week, with culinary experiences to satisfy every taste. You can also let Nimb Hotel’s restaurants spoil you. This five-star hotel is the only hotel in Denmark on the Condé Nast 2020 Gold List, which also mentioned Nimb’s restaurants and bars.
Taste fast gourmet food in the Tivoli Food Hall, which has brought together some of the best culinary experiences in the city and is free for everyone to enter. The newest food stalls are La Playa and Lobster Shack, serving up Latin beach food and lobster rolls.
Winter fun for children
Tivoli’s ice-skating rink and activity igloo Pingonesia offers great fun for kids. All the rides will be open, including Tivoli’s hair-raising 106-year-old wooden rollercoaster. Ice-skating is free of charge once admission to Tivoli has been paid (bring skates or hire some on-site). Igloo activities and rides require tickets or an unlimited ride ticket. The last day of Winter in Tivoli is a very special day in Denmark. It is the season of the Danish Fastelavn/Shrovetide tradition, when children dress up and enjoy a “piñata party”, hitting a wooden barrel with a stick until it breaks open and candy spills out. It is also the season for eating the delicious Shrovetide buns, a Danish speciality sometimes made with Danish pastry and sometimes with yeast dough. Some are filled with custard or jam and then baked, while others are sliced open and then filled with custard or whipped cream.
New rollercoaster ride
The Milky Way Express is the new and improved version of the Odin Express. On board you will feel the rush as you enjoy the view of the Gardens from a height of 17 metres. The design theme is inspired by the idea of a journey of discovery, whether in the stars, in the world of science or in time. The ride speeds past planets, stars and galaxies.
