About the festival

Copenhagen Photo Festival 2026 is showcasing an artistically and conceptually ambitious programme that celebrates creativity and experimentation within photography and lens-based art, and aims to build bridges between fine art and documentary photography.

The festival takes place in the center of Copenhagen as well as at collaborating galleries, museums and cultural institutions in Copenhagen and southern Sweden. Throughout the festival, photography is on the agenda through exhibitions, networking programs, workshops, talks, photobook market and more. In 2026 we will consolidate our presence at The Royal Danish Theatre as our new festival centre in the city center of Copenhagen.

The open call

The open call is for artists and photographers who want to break new ground and challenge the idea of what photography is and can be, now and in the future. The winners of the open call will get the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at Copenhagen Photo Festival 2026.

Copenhagen Photo Festival’s featured solo exhibitions aims to expand the boundaries of exhibiting photography and focus on sustainable development, not least in relation to the specific place the festival is situated, but also with regards to the materiality of displaying photography, as well as presenting new perspectives and emerging talents.

As a solo artist you will work in close collaboration with the curatorial team about the planning of the exhibition. If you are selected as one of the shortlisted artists, you are invited for an interview with the CPF curatorial team in the fall of 2025 before the final selection of the headliners for 2026.

If you are selected we have a sharp focus on promoting your work and exhibition on all our platforms and social media channels. But we also aim to create an on site activity program that revolves around your work through relevant activities, e.g. workshops, guided tours and/or talks. As a selected artist we expect you to participate in the activities program created around you and your work.

Your exhibition will be placed indoors at the festival centre or outdoors in the surrounding area depending on the project and the overall curatorial strategy. In line with festival values the artist should be prepared to think creatively and experimentally in terms of the hangings and/or installations of the works, as it is a core value for the festival to create exhibitions that are true to the festival format and interact engagingly or even surprisingly or contrastfully with the theme, the project itself and the surroundings it will be presented within.

Forestillinger | Scenarios

How could Jules Verne describe the depths of the ocean without ever setting foot in a submarine? How can we dream of things we have never seen, or fear what we do not even know? Why does art exist, and why are we drawn to great drama?

The ability to imagine something – a better world, a different reality – is a deeply human driving force. It can spark political change, sway crowds for better or worse, or unfold in outstanding works of art. It can lead to tempestuous love affairs or to burning jealousy. With the theme "Forestillinger | Scenarios" we want to highlight our abilities to create worlds and new realities through images and narratives – staged or not.

In Danish, the word "forestillinger" refers both to the performative – the theatre's stage where dramas are brought to life – and to the emotional and image-making: our ability to fantasise, to dream ourselves elsewhere, and to step into the lives of others. The equivalent English word 'scenarios' also encapsulate the theatrical perspective as well as the power of creating images and narratives.

Scenarios can paint utopian visions or pitch-black nightmares. They can paralyse us or open up new paths through unknown, rugged landscapes. Scenarios as playful stagings or imaginings can be wonderful, unrealistic, limited, disturbing, rigid – or they can break boundaries and defy logic.

Imagining a world without scenarios or 'what ifs?' – without the ability to create images or narratives – is nearly impossible. It is the very foundation of understanding and connecting with others. To mirror ourselves, to unfold, and to show empathy.

With Forestillinger | Scenarios as the overarching theme for Copenhagen Photo Festival 2026, we invite you to explore how this creative force unfolds through photography – both as image and as gaze. Photography can document the visible or give shape to the yet unseen or the unthinkable. It can create presence, point forward, dream, confront, or distort.

We invite artists and photographers to engage with unknown agendas and unpredictable terrains. To find new paths and give space to playfulness and imperfection – where serendipity and new narratives can emerge. This is crucial in a world where we are daily confronted with war, inequality, hidden agendas, and a looming climate crisis. Here, 'scenarios' is not an escape – but a necessary place to begin.

Judging criteria

As a solo artist at Copenhagen Photo Festival you are selected as one of the headliners of our festival.

We urge applicants to reflect on and propose how the materiality of the work can be presented, produced or designed in a sustainable way.

You can submit your application in English or Danish.

See examples of the exhibitions of the open call winners from previous years in our artist archive: https://copenhagenphotofestival.com/artist-archive/

What exhibitors receive

As an exhibitor 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
• € 537 fee as a festival participant. 
• € 400 support for travel to and accommodation in CPH (for international photographers)
• €134 support for food and local transport 
• 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 during your stay in Copenhagen

Requirements and Participation

• The application must include a biography and a CV.

• Applicants must present a project description of up to 3000 characters that explains the finalized concept.

• The concept must be related to the overarching theme of 'Forestillinger | Scenarios'

• The project description must outline the concept of your project: The expected number of works, the format and material of the works, if AV equipment is needed and if the project has been exhibited before (see terms and conditions). 

• We accept if few works have been exhibited in Denmark before, but not the project as a whole.

• You must present a minimum of 10 images that support the concept. 

• Image size: Minimum 1500px on the long side, sRGB.

• Copenhagen Photo Festival commits to providing equal opportunities, and we encourage people of all ethnic backgrounds, races, religions, ages, genders, disabilities, sexual orientations, or social statuses to apply.

• Applicants must be open to dialogue with CPF about the presentation of their work and the program activities surrounding it.

• We encourage exhibitors to consider themselves ambassadors of the festival and expect them to take part in activities both before and during the festival, both online and in person.

• We also expect exhibitors to participate in activities such as videos or podcasts relating to their exhibition or to offer a public presentation during the festival.

• Important: If you were selected as a CPF solo artist within the last three years, we recommend you to wait till next year

• Important: Projects that have been shortlisted in previous years will not be considered again. So we encourage you to send another project if you have been shortlisted for CPF before.

programme committee

The programme committee that will be selecting the Solo Artists for Copenhagen Photo Festival 2026 consists of highly qualified professionals, who have expertise within curation, photojournalism and art. By bringing together an array of perspectives we ensure that each applicant's work is considered and selected in regards to aesthetic, conceptual and journalistic aspects.