Dølle festival introduces reusable beer mugs and shifts to grid power to cut emissions

The Dølle festival, one of Denmark’s largest annual events on Lolland-Falster, is reducing its climate impact this year by switching to grid electricity and introducing reusable beer mugs, DR reports.

Diesel generators—traditionally the festival’s primary power source—will now serve only as backup when demand peaks, with most electricity drawn from the grid and stored in large batteries. The shift follows a partnership with Guldborgsund Municipality to lower the event’s carbon footprint.

“We’re not going to save the world here,” admitted Per Hansen, chair of Dølle’s organising committee. “But we can test new technology and raise awareness about the green transition.”

The festival, which expects 100,000 visitors, will also require guests to return their beer mugs for reuse—a move Hansen called “a small but meaningful signal” about recycling. To further cut emissions, shuttle buses have been scheduled to align with train arrivals from Nykøbing Falster and Lollandsbanen, encouraging attendees to use public transport.

Formerly known as Døllefjelde-Musse Marked, the event rebranded as Dølle in 2022 to streamline marketing, adopting the nickname locals had long used.