Rebild festival proceeds without US officials amid political strain

The Rebild festival in North Jutland will mark US Independence Day this year without official American representatives, as political tensions persist over former US President Donald Trump’s stated desire to acquire Greenland.

Organizers insist the event, which celebrates Danish-American ties, remains apolitical. “We have unwillingly become part of a major political debate, but Rebildfest has never been about politics,” said Jørgen Bech Madsen, president of the Rebild Society.

Earlier this year, Aalborg politicians threatened to withdraw the festival’s annual subsidy of around 300,000 kroner if official US guests were invited. In response, organizers chose not to extend invitations to diplomatic or political figures, a break from past practice.

“The purpose is simple: it should be a day of celebration,” Madsen said.

Held since 1912 in the Rebild Hills near Skørping, the festival is considered the largest Fourth of July celebration outside the US. Created by Danish-Americans, it traditionally features speeches, music, and communal singing, with attendance ranging from 1,000–2,000 in recent years. In its mid-20th-century peak, crowds reached 50,000.