CRAFT / DIGITAL / IDENTITY / MERCH / PRINT
ROSKILDE FESTIVAL
A FESTIVAL IDENTITY INSPIRED BY ROSKILDE’S GRAFFITI CULTURE – TRANSLATING SPRAY PAINT, CROWDS AND MOVEMENT INTO A PHYSICAL VISUAL SYSTEM
Created for Roskilde Festival 2017, the visual identity drew inspiration from the festival’s long-standing connection to graffiti culture and DIY expression. At the centre of the system was a large hand-sprayed gradient painted directly onto soft billboard paper using aerosol paint – fading from white into deep black through thousands of sprayed dots.
Known internally as The Citizens Gradient, the texture referenced Roskilde Festival as Denmark’s fourth largest temporary city. From a distance, the sprayed surface begins to resemble a festival crowd seen from above – echoing the density and movement gathering in front of the Orange Stage.
The original spray-painted backdrop was created by hand at the festival’s graffiti area, filmed on-site and later photographed and digitised for use across the full 2017 identity system.
PAINTED BY HAND, BUILT INTO A SYSTEM
Rather than simulating the effect digitally, the identity was built from a physical gesture – preserving the grain, softness and unpredictability of sprayed paint. The process itself became part of the project, unfolding publicly as part of the festival environment and later forming the basis of a short concept film for the annual identity.
The gradient system was subsequently expanded across posters, programmes, digital campaigns, large-scale banners, advertisements, signage and the official festival wristbands. Combined with the individual stage colours, the sprayed textures created a recognisable visual language capable of shifting between raw physicality and digital precision while remaining unmistakably tied to Roskilde Festival 2017.
