With a unique location in Copenhagen’s historic centre, near tourist attractions, the harbour boats, design companies and galleries, Designmuseum Danmark is a working archive and the entrance to Denmark as a design destination.  Experience one of the world’s largest collections of Danish design, counting works by Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjærholm, Verner Panton and Hans Wegner. In addition, the collections cover applied art and design from Art Nouveau to contemporary Danish design and include glass, ceramics, fashion, textile and poster art. The museum, situated right next to Amalienborg, is one of the finest examples of rococo architecture in Copenhagen. It offers thematic design exhibitions, special events, guided tours and workshops. Visitors are also invited to explore our beautiful garden, the café with indoor and outdoor service, the museum shop, and library. New permanent exhibition: Danish ModernDanish design is known and loved – both at home and abroad. But what led to its success, which designs are central, and who are the major Danish designers of the 20th century? The exhibition 'Danish Modern' unfolds the story of Danish design from the 1920s to the 1970s, focusing on the creation of some of the most iconic Danish design objects.  Upcoming exhibitions: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Hokusai, February 06 — August 09 2026Designmuseum Danmark’s collections include 40 woodblock prints by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, who lived from 1760 to 1849 during the Edo period (1603–1868).Japan Modern Poster, February 06 — August 09 2026The exhibition 'Japan Modern Poster' introduces the development of Japanese graphic design from the postwar era to the present through iconic posters.

ARKEN is Denmark's leading museum for contemporary art.  ARKEN is Denmark's largest museum for contemporary art. You can experience exhibitions of contemporary art that relate to you, the life you live, and the communities and societies you are part of. Each year, the museum also presents a variety of exhibitions featuring modern Danish, Nordic, and international art. The museum building is an attraction in itself. Designed by architect Søren Robert Lund, the building resembles a stranded ship with its pointed bow jutting into the landscape, just a few meters from the water. The museum is situated in scenic surroundings with a long sandy beach, making a visit to the museum perfect for a walk or a dip in the waves.Exibitions:55.6° North - Arken's Collection - 05.02.26–30.08.26:55.6° North is ARKEN’s major exhibition of Nordic contemporary art, exploring how identity, community, power, nature, and climate are changing in a time shaped by geopolitical shifts and global uncertainty. Bringing together artists from across the Nordic region, the exhibition offers both local and global perspectives on Nordic traditions, values, and contemporary challenges through a wide range of artistic expressions.      

Kunsthal Charlottenborg is one of the largest and most beautiful exhibition spaces for contemporary art in Northern Europe The exhibition space presents an ambitious program with international outlook featuring talents as well as established stars from both Denmark and abroad. Kunsthal Charlottenborg presents uncompromising and agenda setting art still understandable for everyone. The trendsetting exhibition program is supplemented with a large number of activities like artist talks, performances, concerts and film screenings. Ever since Kunsthal Charlottenborg opened in 1883, the venue has hosted exhibitions featuring many of the leading contemporary artists of the given times, accommodating many different types of shows and activities. Charlottenborg now celebrates its long history with a large-scale exhibition featuring all-new and older works alike. Together, they will evoke and add nuance to the history of Kunsthal Charlottenborg, a venue without a collection or a historical archive. Embracing chaos, affinities and time glitches, the exhibition Full of Days forges intuitive connections between historical moments and less-remembered shows, stories and events. Through a cacophony of voices, contemporary and historical artists are framed into a reflection on the elusiveness of time and the multiplicity of its representations, offering a non-linear account of one the Kunsthal’s possible histories. Special Exhibithions (Kunsthalcharlottenborg.dk):  Pani, so tradeł / Water that Wanders, 12 March – 16 August 2026:Małgorzata Mirga-Tas is a Polish artist and activist who, through textile collages, portrays Roma culture with a focus on community, cultural heritage, and women’s lives. Her first solo exhibition in Denmark at Kunsthal Charlottenborg presents both new and existing works that challenge artistic hierarchies and highlight overlooked stories. Mirga-Tas’ works combine poetry and politics and insist on recognizing Roma people.Charlottenborg Art Books The independent bookstore offers a distinctive selection of books and magazines, including publications in the fields of fine art, critical design, typography, literature, and theory.Apollo Bar & Canteen Apollo Bar & Canteen are Kunsthal Charlottenborg’s bar and dining place by chef and creator Frederik Bille Brahe. Every weekday from Tuesday to Friday, you can enjoy a healthy and delicious lunch at the canteen, and all week you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or an exciting dinner or just a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or a drink at the bar next to the courtyard.

Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art is a must see in Copenhagen for anyone interested in art and architecture. Den Frie was founded by artists in 1898 and is one of the oldest venues for contemporary art in Denmark. It is in itself a unique and very beautiful wooden building designed by famous artist J.F. Willumsen. Den Frie’s fundamental aim is to present the very latest in contemporary art. We host exhibitions by national and international artists, all of which address current issues. The extensive programme of exhibitions and events are evidence of Den Frie’s role as an active platform for living art and
art production, and the commitment to contribute to contemporary existence. With its relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, Den Frie is also a popular meeting place for artists, students, tourists and the many locals who pass by. As a visitor you’ll feel welcome and enjoy having your interest in contemporary art stimulated, whether you’re an art connoisseur or a beginner. On top of which the architecture alone is well worth a visit. Den Frie also houses the café, Polykrom, where you can enjoy a delicious lunch or a well-made cup of coffee. Den Frie is closed between exhibitions. Please check the website before going. Exhibitions (denfrie.dk):Wien-København. Den Frie Udstilling 2026 - 02.05.26 — 07.06.26:Vienna–Copenhagen. Den Frie Exhibition 2026 is a major group exhibition in which Den Frie Exhibition invites its sister institution, the Wiener Secession, as guest exhibitors. Bringing together more than 45 Danish artists in dialogue with 125 Austrian artists, the exhibition highlights artist‑run exhibition communities, their historical foundations, and their renewed relevance in a contemporary context marked by growing interest in collective and self‑organized art practices.    

On the edge of Copenhagen Harbour sits The Black Diamond as a beacon of culture. The Black Diamond is Royal Danish Library's cultural centre in Copenhagen with lots of exhibitions all year round. Storytelling, sensuous experiences and unique objects set the mind in motion when visiting exhibitions in The Black Diamond. With cultural heritage as an inexhaustible reservoir, everything from Søren Kierkegaard to contemporary art is staged, with particular emphasis on literature and photography. Exhibitions 2026: The World around Us - Permanent Exhibition In The Black Diamond's new collection exhibition, we turn our gaze towards the landscape and everything that surrounds us. The exhibition takes us on a journey through the last 200 years of photographic history and focuses on how we have depicted and understood land and city through photography – from the romantic landscape photography of the 19th century to the Industrialisation's enthusiasm for cities and buildings to the climate challenges of today. Treasures in the Royal Danish Library - Permanent Exhibition An exhibition with library's most precious, beautiful, significant, and valuable treasures. From the oldest of manuscripts to the Internet's ever increasing digital cultural heritage. Explore gems from the collections of science, philosophy, cartography, music, and much more – or take a peek into the lives of a number of prominent Danes by reading Søren Kierkegaard's letter to his fiancé, Karen Blixen's own manuscript, or Hans Christian Andersen's diary. Permanent exhibition. Danish Press Photo of the Year – 2026 07.03.26 – 09.08.26Danish Press Photo of the Year presents the dramatic, funny, and memorable moments from 2026 – captured by Danish press photographers. Each year the competition awards the best shots in categories such as News Photo of the Year, Portrait of the Year, Sports Photo of the Year and, last but not least, Press Photographer, and Press Photo of the Year. Jytte Rex - Dreams and Furious Laughter - 20.3.26-09.08.26In Jytte Rex’s art, images, words, and film meet in a weave of connections – between people, times, and media. For more than six decades, she has worked across art forms, creating existentially focused works that revolve around the relationship between humans and the world and between inner and outer life. The photographic medium is a recurring element in Jytte Rex’s practice. She describes it as subjecting photography to a form of vandalism. She breaks with photography’s cool documentarism and creates a connection to other times, to the world's changeability, and to human inner life. Materials and motifs are worked in layers upon layers, generating new layers of meaning and impression. Jytte Rex is part of the feminist avant-garde art of the 1960s and 1970s, and occupies a distinctive position with her poetic and labyrinthine expression. Jytte Rex – The Dream and the Furious Laughter opens up a universe where stories, longings, and sensations merge, and where the works invite us to open our eyes to the mystery of the world.Visit The Old Reading RoomThe atmospheric reading room in the original part of Royal Danish Library on Slotsholmen in Copenhagen is called The Old Reading Room. The reading room has remained virtually original since its inauguration in 1906 and is a true architectural gem. On Sundays, anyone interested can visit the reading room and experience its very special atmosphere. Visit to The Old Reading Room is included in the exhibition ticket and with a Copenhagen Card. Please note that only students and researchers have access to the library Monday to Saturday.  

Copenhagen Contemporary (CC) is Copenhagen’s international art center showing installation art created by world stars and new emerging talentsIt occupies the magnificent former B&W welding hall offering a total of 7,000 m2 of beautiful industrial halls with plenty of space to show the technical and large formats in which many contemporary artists work: total installations, performance art, and monumental video works. Art that can often be entered and sensed with the whole body.  Copenhagen Contemporary is one of Scandinavia’s largest exhibition venues for contemporary art and a lively meeting place for a wide audience. CC creates collaborative partnerships and organises events with a number of different partners across cultural genres locally and internationally. You can attend art talks, art walks, concerts, creative workshops for children, visit CC’s own shop offering Scandinavian design, and experience the unique and historical city district of Refshaleøen.  Situated centrally in B&W’s iconic welding hall, CC is an international power hub in Copenhagen’s new cultural district. The special quality of this area continues to be defined by its industrial history: the area is raw and green with commanding views across Copenhagen Harbour. The district is a mix of first-class gourmet restaurants and small entrepreneurial initiatives; you can go for a dip in the sea, for a sauna, enjoy a glass of wine, and eat grilled food, buy quality bread and visit Copenhagen’s most popular food market with stalls from across the world and lounge areas by the water’s edge. Not forgetting the climbing, skating,and skiing activities, the flea market, and the theatre and music festivals, which are just some of the many activities this area has to offer.  Exhibtions (copenhagencontemporary.org):Alia Farid – A Sounding of the Earth – 3 October 2025 – 26 July 2026A Sounding of the Earth introduces the Kuwaiti–Puerto Rican artist Alia Farid, whose practice explores the interconnected relationships between cultural heritage, ecology, and the oil industry in the Arabian Gulf. Working with sculpture and film, Farid draws connections between ancient materials and contemporary extractive economies, examining how political and economic forces shape landscapes, local communities, and forms of resistance. The exhibition invites reflection on how narratives of extraction, adaptation, and survival continue to resonate in both the region and our present day.    

Cisternerne is an exhibition space for contemporary art, defined by echoing acoustics, high humidity, and the constant sound of dripping water. Prepare yourself for a truly unique underground experience. Descend below ground and immerse yourself in a magical, fully sensory world featuring internationally acclaimed art.As the cold, damp climate of Cisternerne envelops you, you don’t simply observe the artworks —you are completely surrounded by them. The former water reservoir is dimly lit, and its atmospheric setting evokes both fascination and enchantment in visitors of all ages.Each year, Cisternerne invites an artist to create a site-specific installation for its 4,400 square meters. Here, humidity approaches 100%, daylight never penetrates the space, reverberations can last up to 17 seconds, and temperatures range between 4 and 16°C. Marina Abramović: Seven Deaths - March 14th – November 30th 2026In 2026, Cisternerne presents world-renowned performance artist Marina Abramović’s immersive film installation Seven Deaths, transforming the dark subterranean reservoir into a total, operatic experience.Drawing on seven iconic female roles from the history of opera, Abramović stages death as a poetic and visual drama. Set to arias performed by the legendary opera diva Maria Callas, a rich visual narrative unfolds, with Abramović herself in the leading role alongside Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe.Seven Deaths is an intense and deeply moving exploration of the fundamental conditions of human existence—a compelling meditation on love and loss, life and death, longing and suffering.