Open Call 2027: Extended deadline 15 September
New deadline for Open Call 2027: 15 September
Copenhagen Photo Festival har forlænget ansøgningsfristen til Open Call 2027. Fotografer og billedkunstnere kan nu indsende visuelle projekter frem til 15. september 2026.
CPFs Open Call 2027 inviterer fotografer og billedkunstnere fra hele verden til at indsende projekter inden for fotografi og kamerabaseret kunst. Årets tema er Frie hænder | Free Hands.
Ti projekter udvælges til præsentation og en featureartikel på tværs af festivalens platforme. Heraf udvælges 3-5 projekter til en soloudstilling på Copenhagen Photo Festival 2027, som udvikles og kurateres i tæt samarbejde med festivalteamet.
De udvalgte fotografer modtager kunstnerhonorar, kuratorisk sparring og målrettet PR i forbindelse med udviklingen og præsentationen af deres udstilling.
Den forlængede frist giver både nye ansøgere og dem, der allerede arbejder på en ansøgning, ekstra mulighed for at færdiggøre og finpudse deres projekt.
FORLÆNGET deadline: 15. september 2026 kl. 23.59
Ansøgningsgebyr: 215 DKK
Copenhagen Photo Festival has extended the application deadline for Open Call 2027. Photographers and visual artists can now submit their projects until 15 September 2026.
The open call is open to photographers and visual artists worldwide working with photography and lens-based art. The theme for the 2027 edition is Frie hænder | Free Hands.
Ten projects will be selected for features across the festival’s platforms. Of these, 3–5 will be selected for solo exhibitions at Copenhagen Photo Festival 2027.
The selected solo artists will receive an artist fee, curatorial support and targeted PR in connection with the presentation and development of their exhibitions.
The extended deadline gives both new applicants and those already working on an application additional time to complete and submit their material.
EXTENDED deadline: 15. september 2026 23.59
Application fee: 215 DKK
Extended deadline for our Call for FUTURES Nordic Talents
Good news! The application deadline for 2026 FUTURES Nordic Talents has been extended to 1 November – giving you more time to finalize your project and submit your best work!
Join a European Photography Community
As part of the large European FUTURES Photography Platform, this year we are once again offering four emerging talents based in the Nordic countries the opportunity to join this international photography community. Since 2021, CPF has represented the Nordic region within FUTURES to help new artists grow and gain visibility within the field.
Connect with Leading Institutions
As a FUTURES Nordic Talent, you will become part of a network of 20 top photography institutions across Europe – including PhotoIreland, The Triennial of Photography Hamburg, Photo Romania Festival, Fotogalleriet in Oslo, ISSP in Riga, Der Greif in Munich, and more. The platform offers a range of opportunities for you to develop your practice and showcase your work internationally.
What You Get as a FUTURES Nordic Talent
Being selected as a FUTURES Nordic Talent means joining a professional development programme designed to support your artistic career:
- - Professional Development: Mentorship and tutoring sessions to foster your growth.
- - Gain Visibility: Show your work at CPF festival, FUTURES exhibitions, and online platforms to reach wider audiences.
- - Networking Opportunities: Participate in networking days, FUTURES conversations and member events across Europe.
- - Financial Support: Receive a €500 fee with travel and accommodation covered for program events.
Whether your focus is art or documentary photography, don’t miss this chance to submit your application before 1 November! To learn more about FUTURES Photography and our previous talents, check out here.
Photos by Frida Jersø · Andreas Hopfgarten · Marcus Gustafsson · Maria Høy Hansen / 2025 FUTURES Nordic Talents
Header Photo by Frida Jersø
Open Call 2026: Apply now for a solo exhibition
Did you miss the summer launch of next year's Open Call for solo artists? In that case, there's still time to check it out – and maybe become the next artist to exhibit at the Royal Danish Theatre in the centre of Copenhagen!
Are you a photographer or visual artist working with lens-based media? Do you have a strong, imaginative project that deserves to be seen – and experienced – by a broad, international audience? Then we warmly invite you to apply for our 2026 Open Call for solo artists – and become part of one of Europe’s most vibrant photography festivals.
Each year, Copenhagen Photo Festival brings together artists, audiences and professionals in a shared celebration of photography. In 2026, we once again take over the Royal Danish Theatre and surrounding areas in central Copenhagen with exhibitions, talks and events – and your project could be one of the highlights of the festival.
THEME 2026: Forestillinger | Scenarios
With this theme, we invite artists to explore the power of imagination. How can photography give form to what we haven’t seen yet – or to what we fear, long for, or dream of?
‘Forestillinger’ is a Danish word that speaks to both visualisation and theatrical performance – to the images we conjure in our minds, and the dramas we stage. Whether poetic or political, documentary or experimental, we welcome projects that challenge what we know, distort what we see, or open new perspectives on reality.
This open call is for artists who are not afraid to ask: What if?
Read more about the theme here
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
If selected, you will be offered a solo exhibition produced in close collaboration with the CPF team. The exhibition will be part of the official main programme and presented in the Royal Danish Theatre or in curated urban spaces in central Copenhagen.
You will receive a fee, production support, promotional coverage, and access to a broad international network of peers, professionals and audiences.
With less than three weeks to go before the deadline, now is the time to shape your proposal and apply.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
Deadline: 7 September 2025
Application fee: DKK 200 / €27
Festival dates: 11–21 June 2026
Read more and apply now (final application is sent in via the Picter Platform)
Let your scenario unfold with us in Copenhagen.
Photo credit: Aijing Ji
FINAL CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS · Photo Print Market
Photo credit: From Absalon Photo Print Market, 2025. © Christine Almlund
FINAL CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS · Photo Print Market
Grab the opportunity to showcase your printwork at The Royal Danish Theatre at the festival, Deadline 27 April.
Are you a photographer or visual artist looking to showcase your work, connect with new audiences, and be part of a dynamic creative community? Then don’t miss this opportunity to take part in the first-ever Photo Print Market at Copenhagen Photo Festival within the halls of the Royal Danish Theater!
On 13 June, the iconic Gamle Scene transforms into a vibrant marketplace for photography — and we want you to be part of it. We’re inviting emerging and established photographers to exhibit and sell their prints directly to festival goers, collectors, and fellow artists.
The theatre is situated on Kongens Nytorv, the busiest square in Copenhagen, next to the Kongens Nytorv Metro station with thousands of travelers passing by on a daily basis — offering a great location to present your work.
The Photo Print Market is designed to highlight a diverse range of art, documentary photography and visual storytelling by both emerging and established photographers.
Apply for your own stall by 27 April
If selected, the participation fee is DKK 500 (ex. VAT).
What do you get?
A table at the Photo Print Market at The Festival Center gives you a unique opportunity to exhibit and sell your photographic prints alongside other photographers and photo artists and a chance to meet and connect with a new Nordic and international audience interested in art and photography.
Practical Details
- Table size 150 x 70 cm
- Opening hours: 13 June, 12 am to 6 pm
- Installation 13 June,11-12 am & dismantling 13 June, 6-7 pm
As the deadline is approaching, use this chance to apply and become part of something new and exciting. We can't wait to welcome you to the very first edition of the Photo Print Market during the festival!
New experimental format: VÆKST Creative 2025
Image credit: Classical music event, Copenhagen Photo Festival, 2021
Copenhagen Photo Festival is launching a new programme for creatives at the Exhibition Park at Refshaleøen in 2025. With the new initiative VÆKST the festival wants to encourage cross-disciplinary engagement with photography at this festival venue in June 2025. The call for ‘VÆKST creatives’ is open for applications from 27 October to 12 January 2025.
We are interested in creating reverberations between photography and other artistic fields like installation art, architecture, poetry, music, dance or something all together different at our festival. – Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen, Festival Director
By launching this new initiative Copenhagen Photo Festival hopes to attract creative talents working at the intersection of experimentation and transdisciplinary dialogue-based practices in the context of our Nordic photographic scene. The festival is particularly looking for projects that can accompany the outdoor exhibitions present from 12-22 June 2025 at the festival’s exhibition park at Refshaleøen
"We are interested in creating reverberations between photography and other artistic fields like installation art, architecture, poetry, music, dance or something all together different at our festival. And that is why we now invite creatives and artists from all sorts of media, genres and backgrounds to reflect on e.g. what synergy can be found between combining other mediums with photography? What new ways can you imagine the exhibition audience engaging the festival site? How can CPF, artists, and the audience imagine and create together?" says festival director Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen about the new VÆKST Creative Programme.
Expanding photographic boundaries and encouraging experiments
The festival is looking for 3-5 projects to accompany, expand or challenge photography. This also means that we are not looking for photography exhibition proposals. This is a pilot programme exploring new ways of experimenting with our festival format focused on building dialogue with photography and public engagement.
The target group for the proposal is creative professionals from the Nordic region – emerging as well as professional artists – groups, collectives or individuals. We imagine proposals could include workshops, performances, dances, poetry readings, djing & music, screenings, printmaking, interactive projects, collective processes, demonstrations, sound installations, architectural installations, and more.
CPF commits to providing equal opportunities, and we encourage Nordic-based people of all backgrounds, races, religions, ages, genders, disabilities, sexual orientations, or social statuses to apply. Participation in the call is free.
Open Call 2025: Extended Deadline!
Solo artist 2024 Marcus DeSieno, Image credit: Arianna Hubak
Great news for artists and photographers! The deadline for the Copenhagen Photo Festival 2025 open call has been extended from 8 September to
Sunday 15 September before 11.59 PM.
We've received a lot of last minute interest in this year's call with the theme 'Fremkaldelser / Into the Light', so we've decided to extend the deadline one week to give you time to finish the application in time.
Therefore, if you are an established or emerging artist or photographer looking for a great opportunity to exhibit your work as a solo artist at the largest photo festival in the Nordic region, now is the chance!
We will choose between 3 to 6 headliners for the festival in 2025 that can showcase their talent and push the boundaries of photography!
What is the theme?
The overarching theme for the 16th edition of the Copenhagen Photo Festival is ‘Fremkaldelser / Into the Light’. The Danish term 'Fremkaldelser’ is tied to the photographic process, describing the moment when an image emerges from darkness and reveals itself on film or paper.
This year’s theme encourages artists to uncover hidden stories, challenge societal or personal blind spots, and bring new insights to light. It’s a call to sharpen your focus and illuminate what was previously unseen or overlooked.
How to apply?
Copenhagen Photo Festival 2025 is calling for artists and photographers to redefine the boundaries of photography. Winners will be given a solo exhibition at the festival, where they’ll collaborate closely with the curatorial team to create innovative displays that merge art, architecture, and sustainability.
If you wish to apply for the open call to be a solo artist for the 16th edition of Copenhagen Photo Festival you must submit your project via the online platform Picter, and follow the instructions provided to upload your project description, biography, CV and the required images.
This is your chance to experiment with photography's presentation, emphasizing sustainability and creative use of exhibition spaces, whether indoors or outdoors. The festival is committed to highlighting fresh perspectives and emerging talents, and we’re excited to see how you will contribute to this vision.
Apply here!
Overarching theme for the 2025 festival is out!
Installation view of works by Frederik Danielsen from the festival 2024. Image credit: Laura Wilhelm
We are very happy to announce that 10 July we open for submissions to become solo artists for the 2025 edition of Copenhagen Photo Festival. Deadline for applications is 8 September 2024.
For the 16th edition of Copenhagen Photo Festival we already have a lot of interesting and new initiatives in the pipeline, so it will for sure be a festival that sets new standards. But first things first! For now we unveil next year’s overarching theme, that we hope will inspire and intrigue lots of artists, photographers and collaborators. As something entirely new we have been inspired by a Danish word for the theme:
‘Fremkaldelse / Into the Light’
The Danish word 'Fremkaldelse' is specifically connected to the photographic process. Namely, as the moment of truth, when the image comes to light – or literally is "called forth’ – on film or paper after having lain hidden in the camera's dark house. The development process fascinates because it balances skill and chemistry with chance and loss of control, so that something new and perhaps surprising appears.
To ‘fremkalde’ means to cause something to step out of the darkness and into the light - both figuratively and concretely. You shed light on what is not immediately visible. A process that requires selection and opt-out. But also patience and persistence. Qualities that are challenged in an age that celebrates quick fixes, 15 second stories and new beginnings.
In our time, the complexity of everyday life can feel like a blow to the stomach. We are confronted daily with war, conflict and climate challenges. But the intricacies of this contemporary complexity call to be brought into the light. To be seen, scrutinized patiently, shown and told about.
With the 2025 theme 'Fremkaldelser / Into the Light', we want to call out what was hidden in order to create understanding and insight. It could be uncovering hidden stories or agendas in our society or personal (self) insight. This year's theme is a call to sharpen your gaze, shed light on your own and others' blind spots or practice simply seeing.
There is also hope in the theme. Spreading light in a dark time. One can so easily feel paralysed when darkness threatens. Light and hope are therefore essential to deal with the many challenges around us.
We look forward to step into the light with you!
Deadline for submissions is 8 September 2024.
👉🏼 Read more about the open call and how to submit your work here 👈🏼
Are you our next FUTURES talent?
Image credit: FUTURES talent 2023, Jonas Tislevoll
Do you want to get challenged professionally and get international response to your practice? Do you need inspiration and want to meet peers from other countries?
Now you have the opportunity to become part of the influential European photography platform FUTURES Photography that works to strengthen the path for new talents. As part of the platform Copenhagen Photo Festival is calling for talents from the Nordic countries. The five selected talents get unique opportunities to network internationally and develop their photographic career.
The call is open from 1 November to 1 December – we look forward to seeing your project!
What is FUTURES Photography platform?
Copenhagen Photo Festival is part of FUTURES Photography Platform, which has existed since 2017 and is supported by the EU culture programme Creative Europe. We are more than 20 member institutions from all over Europe within the photographic field. Among the members are prominent institutions like PhotoIreland, Triennial of Photography Hamburg, Der Greif, Void and many others. CPF has been part of the platform since 2021.
How does the platform work?
Every year each member of the platform invites five new talents to become part of the platform. Right now more than 400 talents with various backgrounds and practices are part of the platform, but all with a relation to camera, photography or lens based art. The purpose of the platform is to strengthen lens based artists’ possibilities to get a career boost through a number of activities, e.g. promotion, individual portfolio reviews, network meetings and more.
Learn more about FUTURES Photography
Learn more about the criteria for applying and fill out the application form
Open Call 2024: Extended deadline!
Image credit: Mads Nissen
Calling all photographers and artists! We are extending our open call deadline from 15 September to
Sunday 1 October before 11.59 PM
What is the theme?
The overarching theme for the 2024 festival edition is ‘entanglement’. A word or concept that we encourage photographers and artists to engage with in their application. The concept refers to the way we are correlated over space and time to each other. To how we can have a mutual relationship or connection, in which one thing affects or depends on another. To the footprint that we leave, more or less intentionally.
For the 2024 edition, three time World Press Photo winner Mads Nissen will exhibit his ongoing project ‘Sangre Blanca – the war on drugs’ which examines the entanglement of the drug trade from the coca farmers in Columbia to the streets and socialites of Europe.
What can you win?
If you are selected, you get to be one of next year’s solo artists. Usually we select between 3 to 6 artists/photographers from our open call to exhibit as part of our festival center to open the doors for different photographic genres and perspectives on the theme.
As a solo artist at Copenhagen Photo Festival, your work will receive international exposure on a plethora of platforms giving you a chance to connect with other art and photography professionals. Exhibitors will more specifically receive:
- A solo exhibition in the heart of Copenhagen
- € 530 fee as a festival participant.
- € 320 support for travel to and accommodation in CPH (for international photographers)
- Copenhagen Photo Festival will cover the expenses for the exhibition
- A targeted PR- and marketing strategy for your exhibition on Copenhagen Photo Festival’s communication platforms
- The possibility to meet and make contact with other exhibitors, curators and professionals through a large networking dinner, talks and gallery walks
“So, what do you do the rest of the year?”
Image credit: Fransesco Martello
The short answer to that question is that making a festival is all about making connections. With artists, curators, collaborators, partners, venues, producers and sponsors.
Making new connections
Making a festival is like making a big unruly puzzle that has to fall into place – from conceptualising and planning the festival to making the initial contacts, finding funds and doing the final production, communication and execution of all the activities related to the festival. It takes time, collective effort and perseverance.
Supporting and establishing our community
As an organisation that is passionate about photography, we in addition to the festival also support our local Nordic photo scene with various initiatives year round. From special events or tours, editorial recommendations of new exhibitions, books and events on our platforms, to special opportunities for emerging talents and commercial collaborations.
Open calls, kick-off and exhibition pop-ups in the fall
So, over the fall we will be working at next year’s festival and supporting local photo related initiatives. We run our open calls to exhibit at next year’s festival, participate in Culture Night for the first time and invite existing and invite new partners for a partner kick-off meeting where we will present our ideas for next year’s festival!
Invitation to collaborate!
If you already have ideas for collaborations, partnerships or new initiatives, do not hesitate to reach out – send us an email via the link below and sketch up your idea or suggestion. Your input is very important for us and for the festival to thrive and grow organically in sync with our contemporary world.
Mark these dates!
Speaking of our activities! To keep you posted about our activities in the coming months we have also collected a list that relates to both the festival and our year round activities below. We hope you will mark the dates and we will follow up with more info soon!
Editors’ recommendations: Tip us now
Our first round of recommendations to what’s happening on the Danish and Nordic photo scene is coming up very soon. We hope to send the first newsletter out around 1 September, so do not hesitate to tip us if you have lens-based exhibitions, book launches or events in the making!
Open call 2024: Deadline for applying is 15 september
We already announced next year’s theme, ‘entanglement’, on the last day of the festival in June. And right now we are in the middle of our annual call for artists, who wish to engage with the theme and present a solo exhibition in our festival center.
Visit us at Kulturnatten: 13 October 6 to 12 pm
In October we plan to be part of the big Copenhagener event Kulturnatten (Culture Night) for the first time ever. You can meet the team and see works by Magnum photographer Nanna Heitmann and our FUTURES talents 2023 at our venue FRAME in Refshaleøen.
Festival exhibition partner kick off meeting: 1 november
In November we invite new and future exhibition partners interested in exhibiting with the festival next year to an afternoon kick off meeting. Here we will present our festival, thoughts on next year’s edition. Our hope is that we can also learn more about our partners, brainstorm together on new initiatives to lift the partnership and inspire to new partnerships!
FUTURES Talents Open Call 2024: 1 november to 1 december
In November we also open the call for emerging photography talents to become next years selected FUTURES Talents. Each year we get to choose 5 talents that are offered special mentorship, networking and exhibition opportunities within the European FUTURES Photography platform.