Sølund Musik-Festival

What Sølund Musik-Festival does

Sølund Musik-Festival (Foreningen Sølund Musik-Festival) is a Danish non-profit association (forening) founded in 1985 by Lasse Mortensen, a nurse at the Sølund residential community in Skanderborg. Its core product is an annual three-day music festival held in the second week of June (June 9-11 in 2026, the 41st edition), positioned as the world's largest music festival for people with developmental disabilities. Programming includes ~27 concerts with mainstream Danish artists (e.g., APHACA, Tessa, Benjamin Hav, Infernal, Saveus, Mads Langer), 17 "brugerbands" of musicians with developmental disabilities performing on professional stages, plus inclusive services such as sign-language interpreters, quiet zones, on-site accessible accommodation, meals, and companion supervision.

The operation is built on a small year-round secretariat of 7 staff (led since June 2025 by Festivalleder Sarah Theibel following Lasse Mortensen's 40-year tenure), supported by an extensive volunteer base and specialized education partnerships (VIA Horsens, Diakonhøjskolen). Technology under delivery is professional-grade AV infrastructure rather than software: three stages (Store Scene, Nilles Telt, Pub Frits) equipped with Coda Audio speakers and Digico/Yamaha digital mixers, sourced through partner AV Group Denmark. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the official website integrated with Tickster ticketing, plus a dedicated EAN-number portal for institutional/care-home billing.

Revenue is generated through a diversified non-profit mix: ticket sales (995 DKK full 3-day pass, 695 DKK single-day, 950/650 DKK companion, 175-225 DKK Tovli' Tirsdag, plus accommodations and meals), corporate sponsorships (ADDvision, Royal Unibrew, Skanderborg Bryghus, Euro-steel, jem & fix, teamblue, Ejner Hessel among ~20 named sponsors), donations and foundation grants (Sølund Musik-Festival Fonden, NunaFonden, Østifterne, Familien Hede Nielsens Fond, plus MobilePay donations), government support (1.8M DKK SSA-puljen from Social- og Boligstyrelsen in 2025), and merchandise. The festival is VAT-exempt and operated without parent-company ownership or equity backing. Sub-brands include Tovli' Tirsdag (reverse-inclusion day for the general public), LARM! (2026-launched sub-festival for children/youth with special needs), Handipressen (disability journalism program), the INUK cross-cultural exchange with Greenland, Music Unites Europe, and the Sølund Musik-Festival Fund.

Name

Sølund Musik-Festival

Legal name

Foreningen Sølund Musik-Festival

Website

https://solundfestivalen.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sølund Musik-Festival is a Danish non-profit association operating the world's largest annual music festival for people with developmental disabilities, held each June in Skanderborg over three days with Danish headline artists and dedicated user bands. It serves disabled attendees, companions, care homes, and disability organizations through ticketed events, sponsorships, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live music festival for people with developmental disabilities

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed) (THAJAFAI), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Music festival events
• Disability cultural events
• Accessible live music
• Nonprofit event management
• Inclusive concert programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Skanderborg

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to people with developmental disabilities and their companions. Full 3-day passes, single-day tickets, companion tickets, and Tovli' Tirsdag special day tickets. Also indoor and outdoor accommodation add-ons and breakfast packages.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Main sponsors include ADDvision, Royal Unibrew, Skanderborg Bryghus, Euro-steel, jem & fix, teamblue, Ejner Hessel, livsspor, and Techcare. Secondary sponsors include Rødekro Kurer, NP Consult, Pilgrim, Godik, KAFKA, Sydbank, Socialpædagogerne, Smukfonden, Toyota Material Handling, LEV, Lions Danmark, Damgaard Ejendomme, and Skanderborg Kommune.
3. Donations and Foundation Grants: Accepts individual donations via MobilePay (28 17 56) and online forms. Donations over 200 DKK are tax-deductible and automatically reported to SKAT. Foundation funding from Sølund Musik-Festival Fonden supporting cultural projects for people with developmental disabilities. Previous grants from NunaFonden, Østifterne, Familien Hede Nielsens Fond. SSA-puljen funding of 1.8 million DKK from Social- og Boligstyrelsen for accompaniment support in 2025.
4. Merchandise Sales: Festival merchandise including t-shirts, posters, keyhangers, and sunglasses sold through the on-site souvenir shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sølund Musik-Festival produces and operates an annual three-day live music festival in Skanderborg, Denmark, dedicated exclusively to people with developmental disabilities and their companions. The festival delivers approximately 27 professional concerts with mainstream Danish artists, 17 user-band performances by disabled musicians, accessible accommodation (indoor and outdoor), meals, volunteer companion support, and supplementary programs such as Tovli' Tirsdag, LARM!, Brugerbands, Handipressen, and the Sølund Musik-Festival Fund grant program.

Product overview

Sølund Musik-Festival is a single, unified annual live event — not a software platform. The core offering is the three-day music festival itself, which provides an all-inclusive experience encompassing 27 concerts with Danish artists, 17 user-band performances on dedicated stages, accessibility services (companions, sign-language interpreters, quiet zones), food and beverage, camping, and transportation. The festival is supplemented by sub-products and programs: Tovli' Tirsdag (reverse-inclusion opening day open to the general public), Brugerbands (disabled musicians performing on festival stages), LARM! (a 2026-launched sub-festival for children and youth with special needs), Handipressen (disabled journalists covering the event), the Sølund Musik-Festival Fund (grants for disability cultural projects nationwide), INUK (cross-cultural exchange with Greenland), and a Merchandise Webshop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sølund Musik-Festival Fonden: A non-profit foundation that supports cultural projects for the benefit of people with developmental disabilities throughout Denmark.
• Music Unites Europe
• Tovli' Tirsdag
• Festivalen LARM!

Products and services

• Sølund Musik-Festival Annual three-day music festival held every second week of June in Skanderborg, Denmark — the world's largest festival for people with developmental disabilities and their companions. The event delivers ~27 concerts with Danish headline artists, 17 user bands of musicians with disabilities, accessible accommodation, meals, volunteer companion support, and inclusive programming.
• Tovli' Tirsdag (Reverse Inclusion Tuesday)

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 18,000 attendees annually (2026: 41st edition)
• +3 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AV Group DenmarkcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Technical supplier for all festival stages. Provides professional sound and lighting equipment including Coda Audio speakers, Digico/Yamaha mixers, lighting rigs. Responsible for main stage (Store Scene), Nilles Telt, and Pub Frits technical production.
• ADDvisioncoreOthers · 1 January 2026Head sponsor providing financial support for the festival operations and production.
• Royal UnibrewcoreOthers · 1 January 2026Head sponsor - beverage company providing support for the festival.
• HandipressenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborative project with disability journalists who cover the festival, interview artists, and produce content. Provides press coverage and journalism opportunities for people with disabilities.
• VIA HorsensminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Educational partner - 75 pedagogical students participate as volunteers as part of their education. Festival serves as learning arena for future social care professionals.
• DiakonhøjskolenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Educational partner - 43 deacon students volunteer and contribute activities and community-building initiatives at the festival.
• Ungdomsskolen SkanderborgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Educational partner collaborating on LARM! - a new festival-within-festival for children and youth with special needs, launched in 2026.
• HXC KidsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner in LARM! initiative for children and youth with special needs at the 2026 festival.
• Skanderborg KommuneminorOthers · 1 January 2026Local municipality that is a festival sponsor and partner.
• The MumescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025Professional band of musicians with developmental disabilities from FO-Aarhus. Central to INUK cultural exchange projects and special performances including collaboration with Peter A.G. (GNAGS) for 40th anniversary.
• TilioqcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025Greenlandic partner in INUK cultural exchange project. Will host annual disability policy conference in 2026 as part of the expanded project.
• Socialpædagogisk Skole i IlulissatminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025Greenlandic educational partner in INUK project for cultural exchange and workshops in Sisimiut and Ilulissat.
• FO AarhuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Organization housing The Mumes - professional musicians with developmental disabilities. Collaborated on INUK cultural exchange with Greenland and previously with Norwegian Dissimilis.
• DissimilisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Norwegian cultural organization working for quality of life for people with developmental disabilities through music. Visited in 2024, workshop created cultural bridge between Denmark and Norway.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Smukfest (Skanderborg Festival): Major Danish music festival also held in Skanderborg. Comparable as a Danish regional festival with strong corporate sponsorship, but mainstream audience versus Sølund's disability-focused niche.
• NorthSide Festival: Danish music festival held annually in Aarhus. Comparable as a regional Danish festival with similar mid-summer scheduling and corporate sponsorship structure, but mainstream commercial positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Roskilde Festival: Denmark's largest non-profit music festival. Comparable as a large-scale Danish non-profit festival with sponsorship and volunteer-driven model, though mainstream scale and audience differ materially.
• Special Olympics: Global organization providing sports and inclusive programming for people with intellectual disabilities. Comparable mission and target audience around disability inclusion, but at much larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• Dissimilis: Norwegian cultural organization working for quality of life for people with developmental disabilities through music. Most direct international peer of Sølund; has collaborated on cultural exchange workshops.
• The Mumes / FO-Aarhus: Professional band of musicians with developmental disabilities housed at FO-Aarhus. Performs on Sølund's stages and is a core partner in INUK cultural exchange; represents the user-band model central to Sølund's programming.

Others

• Musikkens Hus (Nordjysk Musikkonservatorium events): Danish concert venue and event organizer in Aalborg. Comparable as a Danish facility-based music event operator, though commercial rather than disability-focused.
• Musik og Teater (Levende Musik i Skolen): Danish organization bringing live music experiences to schools and communities. Comparable as a Danish non-profit music-access initiative, though focused on school audiences rather than disability inclusion.
• HandiKap Nyt / Handipressen partners: Danish disability media and journalism network collaborating with Sølund on the Handipressen program. Comparable as a disability-focused media partner in the same ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Tilioq: Greenlandic disability policy organization partnering with Sølund on the INUK25 cultural exchange project. Comparable as a Nordic disability-cultural organization, though with policy rather than event focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/solundfestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/tags/s%C3%B8lundfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soelund-musik-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Sølund Musik-Festival