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Six months later, Roskilde Festival death remains a mystery

Mid and West Zealand Police said on Thursday that investigators have been unable to determine the why a 20-year-old Copenhagen woman died at last summer’s Roskilde Festival.

Published: 13 January 2017 09:45 CET

Six months later, Roskilde Festival death remains a mystery

The young woman died in her tent. Photo Bobby Anwar

Police said that it has been ruled out that the woman was the victim of a crime and that there were no traces of alcohol, drugs or any type of poisoning in her body.

The woman died on July 2nd in her tent at Roskilde Festival, which is Denmark’s largest and oldest music festival.

A friend sleeping in the same tent noticed that the 20-year-old was having difficulty breathing and along with others helped get the woman out of the tent. They attempted to perform first aid and responders rushed the woman to the hospital.

At the time, police said that “everything points to this being an isolated incident” but six months later there is no further clarity on what actually happened.

“We consider the case closed. We have unfortunately been unable to figure out what she died from,” police spokesman Carsten Andersen told TV2 News.

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Denmark’s summer music festival hopes fade

The Roskilde Festival during the glorious summer of 2018. Photo: Sofie Mathiassen/Ritzau Scanpix

Music events such as the Roskilde Festival, the largest of its kind in northern Europe, would not be able to take place as normal and must be without overnight guests under the recommendations, submitted in report form by an expert advisory group to the government on Friday.

The group, appointed as part of the national reopening plan, was tasked with looking at how festivals and other large events can take place this summer.

The recommendations will provide the basis political discussions which will form an agreement over large events which will be integrated into the reopening plan.

READ ALSO: Denmark enters new phase of reopening plan: Here’s what changed on April 21st

Seven various scenarios, including one for outdoors, standing events, were considered by the expert group in forming its recommendations. Two phases have been set down for eased restrictions on large events, which are currently banned due to the public assembly limit.

In the final phase of the restrictions towards the end of the summer, a maximum of 10,000 people would be permitted to attend an event. All attendees would be required to present a valid corona passport, and audiences would be split into sections of 2,000.

Although that could provide a framework for some events to take place, Roskilde Festival, which normally has a total of around 130,000 guests and volunteers including sprawling camping areas, appears to be impossible in anything resembling its usual format.

The festival was also cancelled in 2020.

Roskilde Festival CEO Signe Lopdrup, who was part of the expert group, said the festival was unlikely to go ahead should it be required to follow the recommendations.

“Based on the recommendations, we find it very difficult to believe it is realistic to organise festivals in Denmark before the end of the summer,” Lopdrup said in a written comment to broadcaster DR.

The restrictions would mean “that it is not possible to go ahead with the Roskilde Festival. That’s completely unbearable. But that’s where we’ve ended,” she added.

The news is potentially less bleak for other types of event with fewer participants, with cultural and sporting events as well as conferences also included in the recommendations submitted by the group.

Parliament has previously approved a compensation scheme for major events forced to cancel due to coronavirus measures this summer.

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