SINCE its first edition in 2022, Syd for Solen in Copenhagen has grown year on year, drawing a mix of international names and homegrown talent to Valbyparken in the south of the Danish capital. And this year, they had a line-up to rival many of the big hitters across Europe, with Lorde, Turnstile, the xx and Geese all performing across the weekend. Add in the excellent weather, and you just knew organisers were onto a winner.
We were in attendance for Friday and Saturday, arriving just in time for a sun-kissed set from the dreamy Wilco. The layout made things easy: two stages sat either side of the main arena, with a smaller tent tucked away in a side area, and nothing felt like a slog to navigate (aside from the copious amounts of dust). Headline sets didn’t clash, toilet queues were manageable, and there was a solid range of food to choose from. Of course, it’s still a young festival next to Scandinavian heavyweights like Roskilde and Way Out West, and it hasn’t quite built out the same immersive, world-building feel – but there’s a real sense the organisers are working towards that and bringing more of the city inside the gates, as regular attendees told us there was more to explore across the site than in previous years. For example, food vendors were known around the city already (shout out Killer Kebab and Lille bakery).
The super friendly crowd and smaller scale of the site also worked in its favour, giving the whole festival an intimate feel – there was something special about seeing big names like Turnstile, Lorde, and the xx, with all the visual dramatics of a large-scale arena show, in such close proximity.
Our weekend really kicked off with a truly outstanding performance from Turnstile on the main stage. After a momentous couple of years, they continued their unbelievable form, inciting mosh pit after mosh pit in a mad, dust-fuelled frenzy. It was pure joyful chaos – right from the anthemic opener ‘NEVER ENOUGH’ to the near apocalyptic ‘Birds’. And true to form, in amongst all the battering riffs and soaring choruses, they were at one with the crowd – checking in to see if everyone was ok and bringing some feel-good positivity and camaraderie to the feral scenes in front of them. In fact, the dust got so think that you could barely make out the faces behind it. With barely a phone in sight and everyone jumping out with smiles on their faces, it felt like an old school gig from years ago – just sheer euphoria. If you haven’t seen Turnstile yet, you’re really missing out.
After this, we caught Copenhagen favourites Iceage, who have just released their acclaimed album ‘For Love of Grace and the Herafter. It’s their most mature and ambitious record to date, full of hooks, melody and driving garage punk, and they performed it in full – with frontman Elias Rønnenfelt in captivating form. Inciting a huge response from the hometown crowd, they play the far more modest and intimate Nice N Sleazy in Glasgow next year. Don’t miss it.
Talking of unmissable, Lorde was up next. An artist who has always played by her own rules, we’re no stranger to her live sets – and she’s never been one for repeating herself. Even since November’s ‘Virgin’ arena tour, she’s amended the set and expanded on the techy, mystical visuals that have so far defined this era of her career. he opened with a pulsing dance intro before casually sliding into half of ‘Royals’, instantly winning the crowd over. From there came the jagged, furious ‘What Was That’, the nostalgic ‘Buzzcut Season’ and the aching ‘The Louvre’, before swinging back into pure pop euphoria.
Backed by a striking troupe of dancers and equally striking stage visuals, it’s her ability to fuse razor-sharp pop precision with genuine intimacy that keeps her live shows so compelling. She spoke to the crowd effortlessly between songs, dropping small, disarming asides – her parents’ worries about her never learning to tie her shoelaces, a mid-morning swim in the river behind the site – before pouring everything into ‘Current Affairs’, ‘Liability’ and ‘Supercut’, the latter landing so hard the whole crowd was dancing and singing every word straight back at her. She closed out with a glorious run through of ‘Team’, her Charli XCX collaboration ‘Girl, So Confusing’, ‘Green Light’ and ‘Ribs’. Most artists would give their right arm to write one of these songs, but she has every one up her sleeve – ready to deliver one of the most euphoric set closers you could imagine. It was a set made for festival summer nights, and a masterclass in how to hold thousands of people in the palm of your hand.
Day three of the festival finished with an incredible back-to-back of Geese, the xx and FCUKERS. Geese have been on a seemingly unstoppable trajectory since last year’s ‘Getting Killed’ album, so they were probably one of the most eagerly anticipated acts to play the second stage across the weekend. Cameron Winter was effortlessly cool, telling the crowd he had ‘one Danish friend…not to brag’ in his signature drawl, while tearing through material from their two albums. Such is their popularity, you almost forget how weird they can be at times – shifting from the swaying ballad ‘Au Pays du Cocaine’ to frenzied, frenetic moments like ‘Trinidad’.
At the other end of the site, it was time for the xx. After eight years away from the stage, it was a really special moment to see Romy, Oliver Sim and Jamie xx reunited again – opening the set with a moving rendition of ‘Crystallised’, all three of them crowded round the decks like old times. And while their music is known for being quiet, intimate and skeletal, it sounded huge on the main stage. Their different solo projects have undoubtedly contributed to their growth in confidence; Romy every inch the frontwoman, Oliver wielding his bass around the stage, their voices so seductive together, while Jamie xx delivered a masterclass behind them – beefing up those timeless indie tracks with clubbier beats, more swagger and energy. And with huge smiles on their faces throughout, there was a real symbiosis between band and audience – with fans held to silence through the stunning ‘Angels’ and singing along every word of the beautiful ‘VCR’. Each member also had their turn in the spotlight – ‘Loud Places’ into ‘Enjoy Your Life’ was pure euphoria, while Oliver Sim came right into the crowd for a dance on ‘GMT’. But as good as those moments were, it was those classic tracks of yesteryear that were truly memorable – the sublime, generational ‘On Hold’, ‘I Dare You’ and atmospheric set closer ‘Intro’. The xx are among the most timeless and forward-thinking bands of their generation, and judging from this set, they’ve come back an even bigger, more powerful outfit.
A tough act to follow then, but FCUKERS brought pure party fever from the off. For an hour, they transported us to an underground sweaty nightclub, sending the crowd into dance euphoria with the likes of ‘L.U.C.K.Y’, ‘Bon Bon’ and ‘Play Me’. The perfect way to end this brilliant festival.
