The Roskilde Festival, often described as Denmark’s largest cultural gathering, draws over 130,000 visitors each year. For many, it represents a unique rite of passage — a place of freedom, community and what locals call the “Orange feeling,” a reference to the festival’s iconic main stage. Yet behind this image of carefree celebration lies another, lesser-known story: the daily struggle of hundreds of bottle collectors who work relentlessly amid the revelry.
The world of refund collectors
Each summer, individuals from Romania, West Africa and beyond travel to Denmark hoping to earn money by collecting refundable bottles and cans discarded across the festival grounds. These refund collectors, or pantsamlere in Danish, are not employed by the festival. Instead, they purchase standard tickets like any other festival-goer, operating in a legal grey zone where they rely on the deposit system (pant) to make their effort worthwhile.
Their work is arduous. Collectors roam the sprawling campsite day and night, often with little sleep, competing fiercely to gather enough containers to justify their trip. According to festival estimates, more than 300 refund collectors from about 15 countries attend each year. Waiting times at refund stations can stretch up to six hours, forcing collectors to queue with hundreds of items in hand.
A post-festival landscape of waste
Giulia Gotti, who volunteered at Roskilde in a project linked to the festival’s pant system, was struck by what she witnessed. Expecting a celebration of music and solidarity, she found herself confronting vast piles of abandoned tents and gear — a scene she described as “almost post-apocalyptic.” Even more revealing was her close contact with the collectors, leading her to write an investigative article published by Eurozine.
“Bottle collectors are integrated into the festival, yet they remain invisible, much like cleaning staff,” Gotti explained. Many festival guests seem unaware of the collectors’ presence. In interviews, some admitted that caring about their empties felt almost shameful — treating discarded cans as a subtle status symbol of not needing the refund money.
The Responsible Refund initiative
In response to these challenges, Roskilde has developed Responsible Refund, a programme launched in 2016 to improve conditions for collectors and build better relations among festival organisers, guests and collectors. A dedicated backstage area, nicknamed The Big Chill, offers a safe space where collectors can rest, shower and receive free meals prepared partly from rescued food.
Still, the fundamental dynamic remains unchanged: collectors work tirelessly, often out of economic necessity, within a festival space that markets itself as an egalitarian utopia. Their experience stands in stark contrast to the “Orange feeling,” exposing a social divide rarely addressed in promotional narratives.
A minimal effort for meaningful change
As Roskilde continues to grow, voices like Gotti’s hope to raise awareness among festival-goers. Simple gestures — collecting one’s empty cans or avoiding trampling over them — can significantly impact those who rely on this informal economy. While the festival is rightly celebrated for its music and atmosphere, acknowledging the labour underpinning its cleanliness reveals a fuller, more complex picture of one of Northern Europe’s biggest cultural events.
