The Rebild Festival (Danish: Rebildfesten), or Rebild Celebrations, is an annual celebration of the American Independence Day in Denmark. At the same time, it serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans. It takes place in the Rebild National Park in Jutland from which it takes its name and is arranged by the Danish-American Rebild Society.

It is the largest event celebrating the 4th of July outside the USA.Vice.com

History

Rebild National Park (Danish: Rebild Bakker) is a Danish national park situated near the town of Skørping in Rebild municipality, Region Nordjylland in northern Jutland, Denmark. The idea of arranging an annual gathering for Danish-Americans in a moorland setting in Denmark originated with Danish immigrant Max Henius. Funds were raised by Danish Americans to purchase to 200 acres (0.81 km2) of heather-covered hills and moorland, located within Denmark's largest forest, Rold Forest (Danish: Rold Skov).

When the area for the park was presented to the Danish government, it was specified that the area was to remain in its natural state and be open to the general public throughout the year. Henius also required it to serve as the venue for annual Fourth of July celebrations. Every July 4 since 1912, except during the two world wars and the COVID-19 pandemic, large crowds have gathered in the heather-covered hills of Rebild to celebrate American Independence Day. Due to a period of national mourning caused by King Frederik VIII's sudden death in May 1912, the first Rebild Festival was delayed until August 5. It was attended by somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 people, including about 1,000 returning emigres to the U.S. Attendance peaked at approximately 50,000 in 1948.

Due to Danish anger over President Donald Trump's attempts to annex Greenland, the 2026 celebration does not include any U.S. officials on the program. Organizers only expect approximately 1,000 attendees.

Significant speakers

+ Keynote Speakers Year Speakers 1929 Th. Stauning 1945 Vilhelm Buhl 1946 Knud Kristensen 1948 Jean Hersholt and Julius Bomholt 1952 Prime Minister Erik Eriksen 1954 Ambassador Henrik Kauffmann 1955 Earl Warren 1956 Actor Ebbe Rode 1959 Minister of Agriculture Karl Skytte 1961 Walt Disney 1962 Richard M. Nixon and King Frederik IX 1963 Dr. Ralph J. Bunche 1967 Walter Cronkite 1969 Hubert H. Humphrey 1970 George W. Romney and Former Minister of Culture Bodil Koch 1971 Raymond Burr 1972 Danny Kaye and Governor Ronald Reagan 1973 Author Piet Hein 1975 Actor Poul Reichhardt 1976 Victor Borge and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 1978 Dallin H. Oaks and Professor Morten Lange 1979 Lis Hartel 1980 Actor Ove Sprogøe 1981 Pat Boone 1986 Maureen Reagan and Dr. Jørgen Kieler 1987 Victor Borge and Erik Emborg 1988 Dionne Warwick and Hofmarskal Hans Sølvhøj 1990 Richard Chamberlain and Crown Prince Frederik 1991 Garrison Keillor and Minister for Education Bertel Haarder 1993 Richard B. Stone and Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen 1994 Attorney General Janet Reno and Princess Benedikte 1995 Senator Sam Nunn and Former Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen 1996 Prince Joachim 1997 Former Prime Minister Poul Schlüter 1999 Governor Charles W. Turnbull and Movie Instructor Bille August 2000 Elder Russell M. Nelson 2001 Tom Lantos, member of the American Congress and President of Parliament Ivar Hansen 2002 Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen 2003 Senator Bill Nelson, Florida and Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller 2004 Ole Henriksen, Los Angeles, beauty expert and Etta Cameron, gospel singer 2005 Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group and Helge Sander, science minister 2007 Former president of Parliament Christian Mejdahl 2008 Mayor of Aalborg Henning G. Jensen 2009 Niels Arden Oplev 2010 Ambassadør Laurie S. Fulton 2011 Congress member Steny Hoyer and Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen 2012 Actor Keith Carradine and Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt 2013 Professor Dale T. Mortensen 2014 Model and singer Malena Belafonte 2016 Ambassador Rufus Gifford and Mogens Lykketoft 2017 René Gross Kærskov and Anders Fogh Rasmussen 2018 Ambassador Carla Sands 2022 Ambassador Alan Leventhal and Caspar Phillipson (as John F. Kennedy) 2023 Author/playwright Adam Price and author/bureau chief of The New York Times Elisabeth Bumiller

See also Danes Worldwide Solvang

References

External links Society history Rebild Society (2011-06-02) Rebild National Park Society Homepage in English