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Children's New Year's Speech moves to DR, will be broadcast on New Year's Eve
🇩🇰 Denmark /Culture & Society

Children's New Year's Speech moves to DR, will be broadcast on New Year's Eve

From Berlingske · () Danish

Translated from Danish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • The Children's New Year's Speech, previously broadcast by TV 2 on January 1, will now air on DR on New Year's Eve.
  • The new format will feature multiple children delivering the speech, offering their perspectives, hopes, and thoughts on their own terms.
  • Children can submit short video contributions, and a children's jury will select the final speakers for the broadcast.

DR is moving the "Children's New Year's Speech" from its traditional January 1 broadcast to New Year's Eve, integrating it into the programming leading up to the King's New Year's address at 6 p.m. This shift aims to give children a platform to express themselves within a nationally unifying event.

With the Children's New Year's Speech, we want to give children the opportunity to be heard in a framework that the whole of Denmark gathers around. We want to create space for their own thoughts, hopes, and perspectives – on their terms.

— Morten SkovMorten Skov, head of Children & Youth at DR, explaining the purpose behind the new format for the Children's New Year's Speech.

"With the Children's New Year's Speech, we want to give children the opportunity to be heard in a framework that the whole of Denmark gathers around," said Morten Skov, head of Children & Youth at DR. "We want to create space for their own thoughts, hopes, and perspectives – on their terms."

In a significant change from previous years, where a single child delivered the speech, the new DR format will involve multiple children. This approach is intended to ensure a broader range of voices and perspectives are represented. "At the same time, it has been important for us to choose a format where several children can have their say, so that in the final New Year's speech, we have more children involved, who can contribute their own input across the country, age, and topics," Skov added.

At the same time, it has been important for us to choose a format where several children can have their say, so that in the final New Year's speech, we have more children involved, who can contribute their own input across the country, age, and topics.

— Morten SkovMorten Skov, head of Children & Youth at DR, discussing the decision to include multiple children in the speech.

Children will be able to contribute through short video messages sharing their thoughts and messages. DR emphasizes that a "finished or polished" speech is not required; the most important aspect is that the children have something they wish to convey. A children's jury will select the final speakers, ensuring that the children's perspectives guide the direction of the finished New Year's speech. Children under 18 are eligible to participate, and video submissions can be sent to DR starting September 21, 2026, via dr.dk/nytårstale.

The most important thing is that the children have something they wish to convey.

— DRDR's statement on the criteria for children participating in the New Year's speech.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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