Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus sits on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea approximately 187 kilometres north west of the country’s capital, Copenhagen.

The city’s first involvement with The Ocean Race came during the 2017–18 edition when the fleet took part in a popular ‘fly-by’ of the port on the way from Gothenburg, Sweden to The Hague in the Netherlands on the final leg of the race. The fly by attracted tens of thousands of fans to cheer each of the six-boat fleet around a turning mark in the city’s inner harbour. It cemented the popularity of The Ocean Race in Denmark and made Aarhus a natural choice as the first ever Danish host city for the 2022- 23 edition – when it will welcome the fleet in at the end of Leg 5 after a potentially gruelling transatlantic crossing from Newport.

Founded as a Viking settlement in the eighth century and originally called Aros, Aarhus is now the largest centre for trade, services, industry, and tourism in Jutland and hosts Denmark’s largest container port. Known around the world for its cultural diversity, Aarhus is at the cultural and economic core of the region, as well as being home to Scandinavia’s largest University.

The city was the European Capital of Culture in 2017 and has hosted events such as the Hempel Sailing World Championship in 2018 and The Tall Ships Races in 2019.

Aarhus’s attractions are easily explored on foot or bicycle and barely 15 minutes away there is either a forest or a beach. Amongst the city’s attractions are: the ARoS contemporary art museum – whose rainbow-coloured roof installation can be seen from all over town – the gobsmacking redevelopment of Godsbanen, an old goods station turned cultural centre; and the mediaeval streets of the Latin Quarter.

Beyond all that, the city is filled with modern bars, cafes and restaurants, many of which showcase new Nordic cuisine – including a number of three Michelin-starred restaurants.

Aarhus was recently ranked third on the index of the world’s most sustainable tourist destinations on ’The Global Destination Sustainability Index’ with a particular focus on events and conferences.

In partnership with The Ocean Race, a number of educational programmes will be developed for students in primary and secondary education for use as part of their learning activities in the 2022–23 school year.