Copenhagen Tivoli is always open during December, and has a different theme every year. We were there in December two years ago when they had built a Russian town on the half acre area. Tivoli was aesthetically beautiful, charming and entertaining as always.
Text and photos (when not otherwise stated) Tor Kjolberg
The copy of the Vasilij Cathedral, known from the Red Square in Moscow, was 21 meters high, and was of course equipped with its distinctive onion shaped dome and its own glockenspiel. The Vasilij Cathedral had its 450 years’ jubilee that year, and for those not being able to go to Moscow, Copenhagen provided a pleasant alternative. Tivoli Gardens invites to Christmas party.
Visitors to the Russian town could also take a ride on a miniature version of the Trans-Siberian railway, and enjoy Russian landscapes with the touch of mystical Christmas gnomes, angel choirs and extravagant Fabergé eggs.
Visit Tivoli Gardens this year (15 November to 31 December) and enjoy the many Christmas lights, try out five new Christmas rides and visit more than 50 Christmas stalls. There’s plenty of entertainment too, including the Pixie Band, Santa Claus in his living room at the Peacock Theatre and the Tivoli Boys Guard Christmas Parades. Every evening there is the beautiful Tivoli illuminations; a sensory bombardment of music, light, water, smoke, fire and laser light at the Tivoli Lake. 
Yearly Theme Additions
– Tivoli, built as early as in 1843, will never be completed, said its founder Georg Carstensen. He was right. Tivoli’s history in Copenhagen has steadily evolved with more dashing and entertaining themes. Tivoli invested almost ten million Danish kroner to build the Russian town inspired by the age of the Tsar. Russian town also added a new ”drop tower” attraction called the Siberian Tower, with a stomach sucking ’free fall’ from a height of 115 meters.
Tivoli – an important tourist magnet
– Events create unique experiences and attract more tourists, says Lars Bernhard Jorgensen, managing director of Wonderful Copenhagen. – With this new initiative from Tivoli the tourists have even more reasons to visit Copenhagen during the winter months, and a visit to Tivoli is high on their list of priorities.
Manager of the Centre for Tourism and Culture Management, Copenhagen Business School, Lise Lyck, agrees. – Christmas is a family celebration, where traditions are transferred from generation to generation, she says. – Father Christmas, Christmas trees, Christmas dishes, red colors and Christmas lights are always ingredients of the Danish Christmas tradition. It is therefore a challenge and something new when Tivoli in addition to this creates and enriches the visitors with experiences from different Christmas traditions.
Fantastic contribution to please our many visitors
The work of making the Russian town lasted for two years. The architects and set designers of Tivoli made sketches, travelled, exchanged ideas and thought outside the box. That inspired among other things the traditional Christmas tree in the fountain outside the Concert hall to be moved to the Russian town where it stood as an iconic tower covered by thousands of lights.
And now – for the first time ever: New Year’s Eve in Tivoli
This year Tivoli in Copenhagen invites visitors to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the beautiful park. Attractions, games and shops are open from 11 am, and several thousand of lanterns will illuminate the park. At 10 pm a breathtaking fireworks, with a price tag of several million Danish kroner, will literally be thundering away.
Many tourists from Norway and Sweden
About 15 percent of visitors to Tivoli are tourists, mainly from Sweden and Norway. This is a good contribution to the tourism in Copenhagen, which, especially during the winter months, has a need for events to increase the number of visitors. Visit Denmark has studied different nations’ knowledge of places and attractions in Denmark, and Swedes and Norwegians have the same knowledge of Tivoli as to Copenhagen in general, 96 and 95 percent respectively. But not everybody knows that Tivoli is open from mid November to 30th of December, and this year even on New Year’s eve.
Last year Christmas opening of Tivoli was visited by more than 800.000 people.
Copenhagen Tivoli
Since Georg Carstensen opened the gate to Copenhagen Tivoli for the first time in 1843, the Garden has developed to a world class amusement and theme park with more than 25 attractions, activities, booths and restaurants, in addition to events, shows and high quality concerts. Tivoli is among the oldest amusement parks in the world and has with its traditions and attractions represented a strong entertainment offer for three generations. Tivoli is annually visited by around four million guests.