Greenland star draws 50,000 in Copenhagen

A huge crowd turned out at the Tivoli amusement park in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark, last week for a performance headlining popular Greenlandic singer Julie Berthelsen.

Every year on Aug. 1, the 10,000 Greenlanders who live in Denmark and the many visitors from Greenland who are in Denmark meet at Tivoli for a special “Greenland Day.”

Last year, 36,000 people came to Tivoli, but this year’s attendance broke records, and Greenlanders who wanted meet their families and friends couldn’t even find each other.

That’s because not only Greenlanders came out in droves to listen to Greenlandic stars. Berthelsen has become a hot commodity in Denmark ever since she placed in a competition similar to “Canadian Idol.”

During the day, a Greenlandic Santa Claus greeted Danish kids and Greenlandic artists sold their handicrafts along one of the promenades. Five restaurants in Tivoli offered Greenlandic food in their menus, and Greenland/Danish musicians performed during the afternoon and evening. There was even an ice sculpture on hand – much to the surprise of visitors from all over the world.