Fredericia hosts first musical folk festival

Fredericia has held its second Musical Folk Meeting, a two-day event celebrating the city’s deep ties to musical theatre, public broadcaster DR reports.

The festival featured concerts, talks, communal singing, and performances by students from Fredericia’s musical academy. A closing show showcased four former students of the city’s musical programme.

Susanne Eilersen, a city councillor and chair of the culture committee, said the event was a natural fit for Fredericia, a city already known for its musical theatre and academy. “When people think of musicals, they think of Fredericia,” she said.

Local residents Inge and Poul Erik Wolff attended the festival, praising its ability to put Fredericia on the national map. Poul Erik Wolff noted the city’s status as home to Denmark’s Musical Academy, making it the ideal host.

Thomas Bay, director of Fredericia Musical Theatre and one of the organisers, called the genre uniquely powerful. “Musicals have this fantastic ability to move us in ways other performing arts can’t,” he said. He hopes the event will become an annual tradition.