The theatre of Denmark continues to thrive thanks to the many theatres in Copenhagen and across the country which put on a wide variety of Danish and foreign performances. The flagship Royal Danish Theatre presents drama, opera, ballet and music. Since the 18th century, Danish playwrights have been successful in attracting wide public interest.

It was in the 18th century with the plays of Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) that Danish theatre began to prosper. Holberg, sometimes known as the Danish Molière in view of his successful satirical comedies (1722), is considered to be the founder of the Danish theatre. Plays such as Jean de France and Jeppe of the Hill are still performed today.

Adam Oehlenschläger (1779-1850) introduced romanticism to the Danish theatre. Especially successful was his Earl Hakon the Mighty, premiered in 1808.

The Norwegian Henrik Ibsen (1828- 1906) also travelled to Copenhagen where he produced plays such as A Doll's House (1879). It deals with the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie and a woman’s struggle to emancipate herself. For Ibsen and his contemporaries, drama was not a question of entertainment but an exercise in critical commentary on the lifestyle of the times. During this period, the Royal Theatre dominated the scene, but around 1850 other, to some extent more popular, theatres were established, starting with the Casino (1848) where H.C. Andersen produced his Ole Lukøie (1850). The Casino became popular for satirical revues in the 1870s.

The Royal Danish Theatre (Danish: Det Kongelige Teater) is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first serving as the theatre of the king, and then as the theatre of the country. The theatre presents opera, the Royal Danish Ballet, classical music concerts (by the Royal Danish Orchestra, which dates back to 1448), and drama in several locations.

The Royal Danish Theatre organization is under the control of the Danish Ministry of Culture, and its objectives are to ensure the staging of outstanding performances that do justice to the various stages which it controls.