Sildefestival Hvide Sande - Sport fishing, fun and community on the West Coast

Hvide Sande

Herring Festival

Sport fishing, fun and community on the West Coast

Photo: Sarah Rønholt

Herring Festival

In Hvide Sande, the last weekend of April each year is dedicated to herring. Over three days, April 24-26, 2026, local associations and businesses host the traditional Herring Festival, where participants compete in the art of catching the most herring, while the festival area is filled with music, cozy atmosphere, and activities for the whole family.

Hvide Sande stands out due to the unique circumstance that in the spring, herring migrate through the drainage sluice to spawn in Ringkøbing Fjord. This makes the area around the lock and the Sportsfiskercenter a true mecca for people from both near and far, who on good days stand shoulder to shoulder.

Photo: Sarah Rønholt

History

The first Herring Festival took place in 1995 under the auspices of Holmsland Klit Tourist Association, and the community spirit is still alive and well today. Countless volunteers are involved in the planning and execution of the event, which is (yet another) example of how initiatives in Hvide Sande are driven forward by people pulling together in a common cause.

Program

This year's festival offers a range of exciting activities on April 24, 25, and 26.

Fishing competitions with great prizes.
Live music in the tent.
Food experiences, focusing on local fish dishes.
Activities for children and children at heart.
Demonstration of herring smoking and cooking.
Large Balut tournament.

See the full program below

The full program will be shared here on the page as soon as it's ready.

Friday, April 24

17:00

The Friday bar and kitchen open

– and you can buy fish cakes, fish fillets, grilled sausages, and drinks in the HVAK tent

17:00

Varde Garden strikes up (from Æ Karklud)

— parade starting at Æ Karklud, through town, over the locks to the festival grounds, leading the Hvide Sande Open balut tournament parade

17:20

Varde Garden arrives

— and strikes up in front of the Herring Festival tent.

17:30

Registration for the company fishing competition

— participants for the company herring fishing competitions must be registered (sign up at leif@hkt.dk)

18:00

Company herring fishing competition

– where it will finally be decided which company will take the lead (and win the bragging rights) when it comes to the art of catching as many spring herring as possible

19:00

Music - Volf Duo live

– with the well-known and beloved sing-along songs and all the hits hand-played on stage in the cozy HVAK tent

21:00

DJ in the tent

– carries the party on into the late evening hours until people have to go home and see the quilts and the drinks in the tent close at 01:00 at the latest

Subject to any changes, errors and cancellations

Saturday, April 25

07:30

Registration opens

– and competitors will have the opportunity to register and be assigned their fishing spot until 9:30 a.m.

08:30

Fishing competition for baluteers

– where Hvide Sande Open participants compete internally before the official Herring Festival competitions kick off

09:30

Official welcome

– by Hvide Sande’s own worm king Fritz Kott, who has been co-creating the Herring Festival together with Holmsland Klit Tourist Association over the years

10:00

Herring smoking

– led by Jørn Makrel, who smokes herring outside the HVAK tent in the morning hours until 12:00 noon, and is happy to share both tall tales and gems

10:00

1. Fishing competition - Adults

— where the day’s first group of adults compete to catch the most herring in one hour, until 11:00

11:00

The herring kitchen opens

– and you have the opportunity to buy homemade fried herring in brine, regular fried herring, smoked herring, as well as freshly fried fish cakes and fish fillets throughout the afternoon

11:00

Herring filleting

– where you can get your own freshly caught herring filleted by local, experienced fishermen until 16:00, in exchange for a donation to HVAK

11:30

Fishing competition - Kids/Junior

— where children aged 4–10 and 11–16 compete to catch the most herring in half an hour, until 12:00

12:15

2. Fishing competition - Adults

— where the day’s second group of adults compete to catch the most herring in one hour, until 13:15

13:15-14:15

ProAm tournament in the ball tent

– where 25 amateurs team up with the seasoned tournament participants and get to know the balut game the good, hard way

13:45

3. Fishing competition - Adults

— where the day’s third group of adults compete to catch the most herring in one hour, until 14:45

16:00

Award ceremony

– in the HVAK tent, with the winners of the day’s official fishing competitions announced and prizes awarded (requires personal attendance)

17:00

Music - Volf Duo

— with 3 sets of their fantastic, friendly folk music on stage in the cosy HVAK tent, until 20:00

Subject to any changes, errors and cancellations

Sunday, 26 April

10:00

The herring kitchen opens

– and you have the opportunity to buy both homemade fried herring in brine, regular fried herring, smoked herring, as well as freshly fried fish cakes and fish fillets until 13:30

10:00

Grenaa Engine

— come and listen to an old Grenaa engine, until 15:00

11:00

Herring fishing school

– Aimed at children aged 4 – 16 years old, who can show up until 1:00 pm and for DKK 25,- get both fishing gear and instruction (no registration, first come, first served)

11:00

Herring recipes

— who has the best herring recipe? Sign up at leif@hkt.dk

11:00

Herring smoking

– led by Jørn Makrel, who also smokes herring outside the HVAK tent until 13:00 on Sunday, and enjoys the curious attendees

11:00

Moped meeting

— where all enthusiastic moped owners can show up on their souped-up mopeds, kick tyres, until 14:00, and as a thank-you be rewarded with a food and drink voucher for the cosy HVAK tent

12:00

Kids’ MGP – Talent Show

— children of all ages are welcome to show off their talent—singing, dancing, a sketch, or whatever. We can’t wait to see it! Sign up at leif@hkt.dk

14:00

THANK YOU FOR THIS YEAR

Subject to any changes, errors and cancellations

Practical information

The festival site at Fiskeriets Hus and the area around the drainage sluice in Hvide Sande

April 24-26, 2026

Free parking at Fiskeriets Hus and at the harbor parking lots

Find apartments and cottages in Hvide Sande here

Danwest – Esmark – Feriepartner Hvide Sande – Sol & Strand

Sign up for the fishing competition

Subject to any changes, errors and cancellations

Price: 150 DKK for adults, 75 DKK for children, and 100 DKK for juniors
Prizes awarded in multiple categories
Fishing license included in the entry fee

Webcam livestream

On the live stream from Hvide Sande Sportsfisker Center below, you can get a good sense of the current fishing conditions at the drainage sluice in Hvide Sande.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the competition or feedback and ideas, feel free to contact us via the form below.We look forward to seeing you in Hvide Sande!