Skive Festival also known as Skive Beach Party is an annual festival located at Strandtangen in Skive. The festival started in 1993, as Skive Beach Party, and as of 2025 has 16,000 annual guests.
A beach party with water sports… and music?
In 1993, three young men, Anders Schmidt, Michael Mikkelsen and Ole Sørensen, had the idea to create a beach party in Skive. The idea originated as a beach party with lots of water sports activities, such as surfing, skydiving, bungee jumping and water skiing. Along the way, the idea quickly evolved to include a music program. The festival took place on Saturday, July 10, 1993 with music acts such as Boney M, Suzi Quatro, Racey, Darts, Scooters and Chimbo’s Revival on the bill.
The ticket price for the first Skive Beach Party was DKK 80 each. Around 5,000 guests bought tickets the first year, while around 7,000 people were at the party site. The many freeloaders and the low ticket price meant that the one-day festival ended up with a large deficit of DKK 350,000, which the founders were jointly liable for.
The rain cost dearly
Despite the large deficit, the festival was a great success. In 1994, Anders Schmidt and Michael Mikkelsen once again held a party at Strandtangen, which became an annual event. In 1994, 12,000 guests attended the beach party and the deficit from the previous year was quickly recouped.
In 1995, the number of attendees tripled from the first year, welcoming 15,000 guests to Strandtangen. The 1995 festival saw a lot of rain, which meant that only 6000 tickets were sold in 1996. The festival featured big names such as Runrig, Shu-bi-dua, Boy George, Nazareth and of course Suzi Quatro. The festival ended up with a loss of 800,000, which meant that the company behind the festival had to declare bankruptcy. 1996 was the last year with Anders Schmidt at the helm.
New management – longer party
With new management, Skive Beach Party welcomed 12,000 guests in 1997 for a day of celebration with a wide music program and good weather. After that year, the decision was made in 1998 to extend the Beach Party by another day to make it less dependent on the weather. Despite the extension of the festival by another day and a great music program that included Poul Krebs, TV-2, Electric Light Orchestra, Status Quo and Joe Cocker, the festival ended 1998 with a large deficit. The price was too high, the program too big and the weather too bad.
In 1999, a two-day program was created again, this time with names like Kim Larsen, Bameses Venner, Shu-bi-dua, Big Fat Snake, Johnny Madsen, Cartoons, etc. The price was only 160 kr. in pre-sale and despite the weather not being in favor of the festival, it was a great success.
In 2000, Skive Beach Party grew once again, with a three-day party for just DKK 180. Despite the unstable weather, 2000 was another successful year. So in 2001, it was decided to open the doors for a 4-day festival and for the first time also with its own festival camp. In 2001, a festival ticket for all four days cost DKK 225 and attracted 14,000 visitors.
In 2009, a record was broken with 25,000 tickets sold and 10,000 guests at the camp, making it the festival’s biggest year ever and the first time it was completely sold out. Two new concept stages Club Stöj and Rolinu! and it was also last year under the name Skive Beach Party.
Name change and big ambitions
Already during Skive Beach Party 2009, it was clear from the website and banners that the festival would be known as Skive Festival. 2010 was the first year under the new name and with the name change came big ambitions. They wanted a more international festival that would be able to attract major foreign artists.
In the coming years, Skive Festival will attract several big foreign names such as Linkin Park, Calvin Harris, Green Day, Rise Against and Rammstein. Despite big names and a music budget of up to 14 million DKK, attendance of around 15,000 guests annually could not keep the festival afloat and in 2012 bankruptcy threatened.
Skive Festival 2012 ended with a loss of DKK 11 million and the festival’s largest creditor, the festival company Godik ApS, headed by CEO Kim Godiksen, had a receivable of DKK 900,000. Godik ApS filed for bankruptcy for the festival in September that year. A few weeks later, however, the festival was saved after reaching an agreement with the largest creditors, who received 10% of the amount owed and then settled the remaining claim.
Skive Festival today and in the future
Skive Festival never regained its pre-bankruptcy heyday, but the festival has maintained a strong local presence with 10-15,000 annual guests and a 3-day festival, with the exception of 2025 when the festival was extended by one day so that the band Scorpions could open the festival on Constitution Day.
Sources:
DR. Knud Lind (2012) Skive Festival has filed for bankruptcy. Link: Skive Festival is filed for bankruptcy | Culture | DR (2.7.2025)
Skive Festival. History of Skive Festival. Link: – Skive Festival (2.7.2025)
Skive Folkeblad (2012). Festival creditor prefers bankruptcy. Link: Festival creditor prefers bankruptcy | Skive Folkeblad (2.7.2025)
DR. Knud Lind (2012). Skive Festival has filed for bankruptcy. Link: Skive Festival is filed for bankruptcy | Culture | DR (2.7.2025)
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