Sands of time: Denmark's sculpture festival goes back to the Middle Ages for inspiration

The Danish town of Hundested is seeking inspiration from the Middle Ages for its annual Sand Sculpture Festival. Now, in its 15th year, artists are letting their imaginations go back in time as knights, dragons and kings are appearing across its beaches. Kings, knights and dragons are rising from the sand in the Danish town of Hundested at its annual Sand Sculpture Festival. Sculptors from Europe and beyond are recreating scenes of medieval life, myths and legends from the Middle Ages, the inspiration of this year’s theme. "We found some local stories from Denmark also. We have a story about a huge market that was in that time," said Christian Warrer, organiser of the Hundested Sand Sculpture Festival. "It's like the Middle Age Temu thing. And the carvers, the artists, they really love this theme, because there are so many good pictures and stories in it." Sculptors have just days to complete their sandy masterpieces, but the festival runs till mid-October, so durability is key. That means these gravity-defying creations must be made of stronger stuff than the average sandcastle. Unlike ordinary beach sand, the material used here contains clay, helping it harden almost like stone. "It's not beach sand, but it's normal sand from a sand pit. And there is a little bit of clay in it, which means it dries out and gets hard, rock hard, and can stand the rain," explained Warrer. Dutch sculptor Joris Kivits has worked with sand for more than 20 years. His piece, “The Kings’ Game”, imagines medieval rulers meeting over a game of chess. "I did find something about chess and that was kind of lovely because apparently they found out that people, intercultural, they would actually come over in each other's house, mainly kings, to play the game of chess." More than 60,000 people are expected to visit the sculptures this year. The Hundested Sand Sculpture Festival in Denmark is on until 18 October 2026.