Insider Tips
This is a spicy debate that we normally wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole, but on the other hand we do need to help you understand the festival’s cultural codes:
COPENHELL has no official rules governing whether people stand or sit on the hill in front of the Helvíti and Hades stages, and there will probably never be full consensus among the audience about either option.
Our best advice is to look around and “read the room” if you get so excited about a band that you feel the urge to suddenly jump up and do a bit of enthusiastic clapping; as a starting assumption, bear in mind that the vast majority of the rest of the audience is on the hill precisely because they want to sit down and will therefore generally prefer not to experience concerts with your cheerfully swaying backside right in front of them.
If you are watching a big band on the Helvíti stage and don’t feel like waiting in the queue at the nearby beer bars when they are really busy, it can in many cases be faster to just run over to the bars by the Hades stage – and vice versa – where you will typically be able to stock up on liquid supplies very quickly.
Even if you are not one of those people who experiences concerts – whole or half – through your phone screen, festivals have a way of draining your battery dry in no time. Please don’t bring a portable solar-powered generator or other larger devices; a small unit should get you safely through the day – and remember that you can also always rent one from Volt at the festival: https://getvolt.dk/en-dk/collections/copenhell-2026
f you know that you want to catch one of the day’s first bands, make sure to arrive early, as there can be pressure on the buses and the entrance area during certain periods, particularly mid-afternoon. Please also note that the woodland area in front of the always-popular Gehenna stage can fill up quickly (though it is almost always possible to get through on the right-hand side). Likewise, if you know that there are specific shows at COPENHELL Con that you simply can’t miss, we also recommend arriving very early for these as seating is limited and the hall can fill up fast.
A full COPENHELL is a hardcore experience, and even the most heroic festivalgoers will need to sit down once they have walked 17,000 steps in a few hours and their legs start to feel like two loose IKEA parts with no assembly instructions. We always recommend the hill in front of the two main stages for anyone who wants to sit down, relax outside and still be able to enjoy concerts at the same time. Alternatively, the COPENHELL Con area (entrance to the left of the Pandæmonium stage) also offers a calmer environment with seating in front of the stage and elsewhere both inside and outside. Udgård in the forest is usually peaceful and pleasant too, if you prefer to be outdoors.