Once Upon a Time The official celebrations for Hans Christian Andersen's bicentenary kick off with a gala opening ceremony on his birthday, April 2nd, in Parken, Copenhagen's event arena.

The organisers are referring to this as the "cultural Olympic games" to describe its magnitude, and it will be televised live. The HCA ambassadors - personalities from the media, sport, politics and the arts - will take part. Ireland's ambassadors are politician John Hume and actor Victoria Smurfit. Others include footballer Pele from Brazil; writer and politician Vaclav Havel from the Czech Republic; writer Isabel Allende from Chile; writer AS Byatt; and Susan Sarandon and Harry Belafonte from the US.

Hans Christian Andersen - The Greatest Fairy Tale This exhibition opens on the forecourt of Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen with a 600-square-metre pavilion in the shape of a two-storey book. It will display images and artefacts on the life, fairy tales and art of Andersen, from April 2nd to August 31st.

Face to Face with Andersen A tour in which participants follow in Andersen's footsteps throughout Copenhagen and listen to the stories and description on mobile phones.

Events in Legoland, Billund, Denmark The theme park entirely built of Lego features a fireworks display on April 3rd. Events include a "fairy-tale weekend", where visitors can gain insight into Andersen's 19th-century world.

Attractions in Odense, HCA's birthplace At the close of the year, Odense will host a special Christmas market. The picturesque town is worth visiting at any time, see the splendid new Hans Christian Andersen Museum, where children can hear a fairy tale (in English), put on costumes and receive a "flying suitcase" with materials for acting out Andersen's or their own embellished tales.

More information on www.hca2005.com