Copenhagen’s historic contemporary-art hall — where emerging voices, international artists and new ideas take over a royal academy setting.
- Temporary contemporary-art exhibitions
- MFA degree shows
- Emerging and established artists
- Painting, sculpture, installation, sound, video and performance
- The historic Charlottenborg setting
- Artist talks, screenings and events
- CHART art fair during selected dates in August
Check the calendar before you go. In late August, CHART can turn the building into one of the most important contemporary-art stops in Copenhagen.
Pair the art with the neighbourhood : Kunsthal Charlottenborg sits between Nyhavn and Kongens Nytorv, so it is easy to turn the visit into a broader art-and-city walk.
And if you are visiting on a Wednesday, the venue currently offers free admission after 17:00.
Nearby route ideas
Contemporary Copenhagen
Kunsthal Charlottenborg → Copenhagen Contemporary → galleries around the city centre
A strong route for current art and experimental practice.
Academy + contemporary art
Kunsthal Charlottenborg → Royal Danish Academy context → Nyhavn → contemporary galleries
Best for understanding the connection between art education and the city’s exhibition scene.
Historic + contemporary contrast
Kunsthal Charlottenborg → The Hirschsprung Collection → SMK
A very strong Artlovers route:
current art → Danish private collection → national art history
Art + design Copenhagen
Kunsthal Charlottenborg → Designmuseum Danmark → galleries / design shops
Ideal for travellers interested in the overlap between contemporary art and Danish design.
About the venue
About
Kunsthal Charlottenborg is part of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ Schools of Visual Arts and has functioned as an exhibition space for contemporary art since 1883. It has no permanent collection display; its identity comes from temporary exhibitions, events, degree shows and art fairs.
Located between Nyhavn and Kongens Nytorv, the institution operates as a programme-driven Kunsthalle rather than a museum with a permanent collection. Its exhibitions range from major international artists to emerging Danish and Nordic voices, annual MFA degree shows, open juried exhibitions, performance, film, sound and interdisciplinary projects. In 2026, Kunsthal Charlottenborg also hosts CHART, the leading Nordic contemporary art fair. For art travellers, it is one of the best places in Copenhagen to experience the city’s current artistic scene and works especially well as a complement to SMK and The Hirschsprung Collection.
Worth the trip
Because Kunsthal Charlottenborg is one of Copenhagen’s strongest places to see what contemporary art looks like now — from established international artists to graduates and new Nordic voices.
© Google Kunsthal Charlottenborg
