Summer is here

Festival summer. Every summer, festivals across Scandinavia attract big audiences. Some with tens of thousands of people gathering. Concerts, events, food, drinks, and a great atmosphere. For most, festival toilets are synonymous with high demand and a standard that is what it is. But what about the people who need special facilities? Do they get their needs met?

The Roskilde Festival’s Orange Stage is the largest and has a distinctive shape that has become a signature of the event. In front of it, there’s space for around 60,000 people – creating unforgettable moments and lifelong memories. Meanwhile, in Norwegian and Swedish rural areas, small local festivals thrive, where passionate volunteers set up stages and equipment to welcome guests. Some even joke that the definition of a proper village is having its own summer festival.

Diversity is vast, but the common goal is clear: creating an inclusive experience for everyone. Across Scandinavia, there’s a growing push to ensure that people with disabilities can also enjoy a full cultural experience. One such initiative comes from Norwegian Event Organizers (Norske Kulturarrangører), which has introduced an accessibility certification (tilgjengelighetsmerket) – a standard more and more organizers are adopting.

Good advance information is key – especially about toilets. Unfortunately, as of today, few have considered implementing Changing Places facilities at summer festivals. For some, this oversight makes attending festivals nearly impossible. Danish studies show that over 9 out of 10 people with severe disabilities find standard accessible toilets inadequate. There’s little reason to believe festival versions are any better.

That’s why we’re challenging the industry to collaborate and develop a shared standard for mobile Changing Places. We’ve already engaged with several stakeholders and believe it’s entirely feasible to convert a 20-foot container into a fully functional Changing Places facility. It could likely integrate seamlessly with existing festival infrastructure.

We have the blueprints—but for the industry to take the leap, we need two things:

1. Commitment from organizers willing to adopt Changing Places as part of their offerings—because they believe in accessibility for all.
2. Companies ready to co-fund these containers to prove it’s possible.

Internationally, some have tackled this with trailers (which often end up too small) or converted minivans (which don’t meet most people’s needs). We can do better – let’s make festivals truly inclusive.