THE ISLAND XL - A floating stage for future culture
The Island XL takes its starting point from the original floating platform The Island, which was created in connection with Aarhus as European Capital of Culture in 2017. Back then, the idea emerged of a small, round wooden stage on the water that could function as an informal meeting place between the sea and the city. For nine years, the first The Island continued to live on in Ebeltoft with children's theatre, small concerts, workshops and nature communication, but the years took a hard toll on the wood and the structure, and at the end of 2025 it was dismantled. The materials found new life elsewhere, while the area around the harbour began to develop in new directions.
With The Island XL, the idea is not to recreate the original island, but to enlarge and further develop the concept into a more ambitious and flexible platform that can be located in Aarhus. Where the first The Island was tied to one harbour and one summer season, The Island XL is conceived as a mobile and scalable construction that can move between different harbour areas in and around Aarhus. The platform can be used for sound art, electronic music, climate debates, workshops and open events that connect the city's cultural life with the blue urban space.
The Island XL is not a replacement, but a new generation of the same core idea: to create a shared third space on the water where art, play and conversation can arise spontaneously. By building on the legacy from 2017 while opening up for new materials, new collaborations and a more sustainable operation, The Island XL becomes a suggestion for what a floating cultural stage can look like in the next decade. The platform's design emphasises reuse, local anchoring and openness, so it can accommodate both professional artists and ordinary citizens who just want to swim, sit in the sun or experience something unexpected on the fjord.
The Island XL is thus both a tribute to what was and an experiment with what is coming. The floating stage becomes a visible proof that culture does not have to be locked into buildings, but can mirror itself in the water and move with the city. See more at Aarhus 2017 - European Capital of Culture and at Syddjurs Municipality.
