STORY: Swimmers lit up Copenhagen’s waterways at sunset on Friday (August 30) as they took part in an annual two-kilometre swim through the city.

The course wound its way past the Christiansborg palace, which houses Denmark’s parliament, and was lit up by coloured lamps as participants took part in the event, which was not competitive.

“We can enjoy the sunset, we can see the lights lighting up the water, it’s very cosy,” said the chair of the Danish Swimming Federation, Pia Johansen.

Lifeguards on bodyboards watched over participants as they swam in the dark.

The nighttime event was part of the TrygFonden Copenhagen Swim, a series of swimming events, some competitive and some recreational, that takes place over two days every year in Copenhagen's harbour.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (AUGUST 29, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. SWIMMERS READY TO SWIM THE COURSE

2. SWIMMER WITH GOGGLES ON BEFORE THE RACE

3. VARIOUS OF SWIMMERS JUMPING INTO THE WATER

4. SWIMMERS IN THE WATER / BLACK DIAMOND BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND

5. VARIOUS OF SWIMMERS BEGINNING THE RACE

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE DANISH SWIMMING FEDERATION, PIA JOHANSEN, SAYING:

"It is so special that we have the night swim, we have 700 swimmers going around the parliament here at night, we can enjoy the sunset, we can see the lights lighting up the water, it’s very cosy, it’s romantic, it’s just a really great experience.”

7. SWIMMERS GETTING IN WATER

8. VARIOUS OF SPECTATORS WATCHING SWIMMERS

9. SWIMMERS WITH LIGHTS IN THE WATER

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN AQUATICS, ANTONIO SILVA, SAYING :

“It’s amazing to swim here, it was a very good experience, I can see because I was two kilometres, more than two kilometres because you don’t swim in a straight line in the water in the canals but very clean and I feel very good.”

11. SPECTATORS WATCHING

12. VARIOUS OF SWIMMERS IN THE WATERWAYS AT DUSK

13. VARIOUS OF LIFEGUARD ON PADDLEBOARD WATCHING AS SWIMMERS PASS

14. VARIOUS OF SWIMMERS WITH LIGHTS IN THE WATER AT DUSK

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (AUGUST 29, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

15. VARIOUS OF SWIMMERS IN THE DARK WITH LIGHTS RETURNING TO THE START POINT

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANISH SWIMMER WHO TOOK PART IN THE NIGHT SWIM, DINA, SURNAME NOT GIVEN, SAYING:

“Well we just swam about two kilometres in the very dark water, but it was a nice experience seeing the city from that side, just a lot of lights and stuff, but different.”

17. VARIOUS OF SWIMMERS GETTING OUT OF THE WATER AFTER THE SWIM

18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HUSBAND AND WIFE FROM IRELAND WHO TOOK PART IN THE SWIM, KAREN AND LESTER SPEER, SAYING:

KAREN: “So, we’ve done a two kilometre swim around the canals in Copenhagen in the dark, so it was fantastic, lights all the way, pretty scary some of it …

LESTER: Under the bridges was a bit …

KAREN: Under the bridges was a bit scary because it was so dark, but it was lovely, really good.”

19. VARIOUS OF SWIMMERS GETTING OUT OF THE WATER

20. SWIMMERS IN THE WATER