Madens Folkemøde

What Madens Folkemøde does

Madens Folkemøde is a Danish non-profit association (Foreningen Madens Folkemøde) that organizes an annual food festival in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark. Founded in 2018-2019 and first held at Engestofte Gods before relocating to its permanent city-center location in 2025, the organization runs a three-day program of debates, tastings, workshops, dinners, and gastronomic experiences that drew more than 40,000 attendees and featured over 180 events in 2026. The audience spans the general public and food-curious citizens, food industry professionals (chefs, producers, dairies, farmers), and policy stakeholders including municipal and health organizations. Recurring branded programs include the Danmarks Bedste Ost cheese competition, the JaTak-prisen restaurant industry awards, the Nationalt Forum for Ung Sundhed (youth health), and the Regenerative Agriculture Festival.

Name

Madens Folkemøde

Legal name

Foreningen Madens Folkemøde

Website

https://madensfolkemode.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Madens Folkemøde is a Danish non-profit association that organizes an annual three-day food festival in Nykøbing Falster, drawing 40,000+ attendees to 180+ debates, tastings, workshops, and culinary experiences spanning consumers, food producers, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Festival & Culinary Events

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAEAF

Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Cultural Festivals & Community Events

SECONDARYBPAGAHAG

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYTHAJAGAL

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAHAJAI

Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Congresses

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Association, Government & Academic Congresses

Keywords

• Food festival events
• Culinary industry awards
• Danish food culture
• Sustainable agriculture forums
• Food policy debates

Headquarters

HQ city

Nykøbing Falster

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event attendance and ticketed experiences: Revenue is generated through ticket sales for select premium events and experiences, such as the Danmarks Bedste Ost cheese competition. Most of the festival programming offers free entrance.
2. Municipal and regional partnership funding: Guldborgsund Kommune provides annual financial support through a 3-year partnership agreement worth 1.5 million DKK per year. Additional support from Region Sjælland and other partners.
3. Sponsor and partner support: Support from corporate partners including DI Fødevarer, Landbrug & Fødevarer, MENY, REFA, Coor, Comwell Hotels, De Samvirkende Købmænd, and SJF Bank.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Foreningen Madens Folkemøde organizes an annual Danish national food festival, together with related food-industry competitions, awards, and themed sub-events. The festivals consist of public debates, tastings, workshops, dinners, and program tracks covering Danish food culture, sustainability, youth health, and regenerative agriculture, attended by consumers, producers, researchers, NGOs, and policymakers.

Product overview

Madens Folkemøde is a Danish food festival organization that operates primarily as an annual event rather than a technology product company. The core offering is the Madens Folkemøde Festival, a three-day food event held in Nykøbing Falster featuring debates, tastings, workshops, and gastronomic experiences. Supporting services include the Mit Program feature for personalizing event schedules, an events program listing over 180 activities, a newsletter subscription, and various branded events including the Danmarks Bedste Ost cheese competition, JaTak-prisen restaurant industry awards, the National Forum for Youth Health, and the Regenerative Agriculture Festival. The organization does not offer software products, APIs, or technology integrations in the traditional SaaS sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Madens Folkemøde (Annual Danish Food Festival) An annual flagship food festival held in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark, consisting of public debates, tastings, workshops, dinners, and program tracks on Danish food culture, sustainability, and policy, open to the general public and industry stakeholders.
• Danmarks Bedste Ost A national Danish cheese competition and awards program associated with the festival, recognizing cheese producers across Denmark.
• JaTak-prisen A sustainability award for the Danish restaurant industry, presented in connection with the festival program.
• Forum for Ungdommens Sundhed A themed forum focused on youth health and nutrition, delivered in connection with the festival programming and partnerships.
• Regenerativ Jordbrug Festival A festival sub-event focused on regenerative agriculture, delivered in connection with the broader festival programming and partner network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Attendance grew from under 10,000 to 40,000+ visitors in the move to Nykøbing Falster
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Guldborgsund KommunecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Three-year partnership agreement providing 1.5 million DKK annually to support Madens Folkemøde. The municipality serves as a key host and supporter, helping promote the event and integrating it into the local development strategy for Lolland-Falster as a food destination.
• Region SjællandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional authority partner supporting Madens Folkemøde as part of healthcare and regional development initiatives. Participates in the National Forum for Ung Sundhed and provides funding support.
• DI FødevarermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish industry association for food sector companies. Supports the festival and helps engage food industry professionals and businesses.
• Landbrug & FødevarermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgricultural and food industry organization supporting Madens Folkemøde as a platform for dialogue between agriculture and consumers.
• MENYmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish supermarket chain supporting Madens Folkemøde as a retailer partner.
• SJF BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional bank (Sjællandske Bank) providing sponsorship support to Madens Folkemøde.
• BiomaginecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity for regenerative agriculture co-hosting Denmark's first Regenerative Landbrugsfestival at Madens Folkemøde. Collaborates on programming focused on sustainable farming practices and knowledge sharing.
• CoorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacility management company providing operational support to the festival.
• Comwell HotelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish hotel chain supporting Madens Folkemøde as hospitality partner.
• De Samvirkende KøbmændminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish independent retailers association supporting the festival.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Økodag (Organic Day): Annual Danish event where organic dairy farms open their doors to the public. Comparable as a producer-consumer engagement event with food industry sponsorship, although it focuses on a single day across multiple farms rather than a multi-day festival in one location.
• Food Festival Aarhus: Major Danish food festival in Aarhus combining tastings, debates, and producer showcases. Similar model of mixing free public programming with premium experiences, and explicitly targets both consumers and the food industry. Closest comparable in scale and target audience within Denmark.
• Taste of London: Premium food festival series in London featuring restaurant tastings, chef demonstrations, and producer showcases. Comparable in the festival format combining ticketed premium experiences with consumer programming and food industry exhibitor presence.
• Copenhagen Cooking & Food Festival: Denmark's largest annual food festival held in Copenhagen, featuring tastings, dinners, and food experiences. Directly comparable in format (ticketed culinary events + free programming) and audience (food enthusiasts + industry professionals), but located in the capital and benefits from a different urban catchment.
• Salon du Fromage: International cheese trade fair and competition held in Paris. Comparable as a cheese-focused competition event with industry professional and consumer audience, similar to the Danmarks Bedste Ost cheese competition at Madens Folkemøde.

Broad incumbents

• Folkemødet (Bornholm): Denmark's annual democracy festival on Bornholm, bringing together citizens, politicians, and organizations for debates and events. Comparable in the "folkemøde" format that combines free public programming with paid experiences; same organizational DNA but focused on broader political/civic dialogue rather than food specifically.
• Salon International de l'Agriculture: Major annual agricultural exhibition in Paris featuring French farming, food production, and rural culture. Comparable as a large-scale public-facing event bridging agriculture, food, and policy, though at a much larger scale and oriented differently.
• Terra Madre Salone del Gusto: International food and agriculture event organized by Slow Food, combining producer markets, debates, and tastings. Comparable in combining food culture with agricultural policy discussions, though at a much larger international scale.

Regional players

• Smag på Region Sjælland: Regional food event in Region Sjælland promoting local food producers and restaurants. Operates in the same geographic region as Madens Folkemøde and shares the local-producer focus, positioning them as a regional peer rather than direct competitor given different timing and structure.

Others

• Slow Food Movement: Global grassroots organization promoting local food culture and sustainable agriculture. Comparable in mission (preserving food culture, supporting small producers, regenerative agriculture) and is a thematic peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/madens-folkemode

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Madens Folkemøde