Reykjavík
Downtown Reykjavík music festival
If sleeping in a tent is not really your thing, Innipúkinn just might be. The title of the music festival is loosely translated as ‘couch potato’, and geared towards people who prefer staying in Reykjavik, i.e. ‘staying in’, rather than wanting to go camping in the potential rain. Innipúkinn Festival is being held for the 13th time this year, and stretches from Friday to Sunday evening (August 1st-3rd) where bands will be playing at Húrra Bar and Gaukurinn Bar.
See more Reykjavík and capital area highlights
West Iceland
Classical music
Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir plays Bach’s Sonata in a-minor for violin at Gljúfrasteinn at 4 pm on Sunday. Gljúfrasteinn was the home and workplace of Halldór Laxness, the only Icelandic Nobel laureate, and is located in Mosfellsdalur, a twenty-minute drive from central Reykjavík.
See more West Iceland highlights
Westfjords
Mud-football and music in the West fjords
Mýrarboltinn, or Mud-Football is a weekend-long event in Ísafjörður town in the Westfjords of Iceland. It is a 6-a-side football match, but played in a quicksand of mud. Teams are generally made up of groups of friends, many of whom who have put serious effort into creating team uniforms to show up in. But if you’re without a team, it’s no problem! You can either just be a less-muddy spectator, or send a quick email to the organizers and ask to join a catch-all team, as they call it, “a collection of oddballs both from Iceland and around the world”. In addition to the football there are numerous concerts and live music acts during the weekend.
See more Westfjords highlights
North Iceland
Herring adventure family festival in Siglufjörður town
The build up to the Síldarævintýrið, or The Great Herring Adventure in Siglufjörður town starts a week before the first weekend of August, with various activities in the town. The offfical festival kicks of on Friday August 1st and last until the Monday 4th.
The weekend is packed with entertainment for the whole family, and camping-sites and guesthouses are available for guests in the town. For a break from all the herring, Siglufjörður is home to a beautiful golf-course that will be open over the weekend for those who want to enjoy some midnight-sun (or daytime) golfing.
See more North Iceland highlights
East Iceland
Neskaupsstaður Neistaflug music and family festiva
Neskaupsstaður will host Neistaflug music and family festival this upcoming bank-holiday-weekend featuring over 40 bands and other acts. The town itself has only 1420 inhabitants, the largest population in the East Fjords. However, flocks of people are expected to come to the town in hopes of rocking out with some of Iceland´s best bands. Join the masses that will be celebrating the bank-holiday-weekend in style. Among artists that are performing are bands Dimma and Buff and Iceland's most popular solo musician Páll Óskar.
See more East Iceland highlights
South Iceland
The biggest bank holiday weekend festival is in Westman Islands
Þjóðhátíð Festival in Westman Islands is by far the largest of the Verslunarmannahelgi bank holiday weekend with between 10.000 to 16,000 people (nearly 4-times the island’s population) attending each year.
Officially, Þjóðhátíð starts on Friday (August 1st 2014) and last until Sunday that same weekend. A number of people like to get a headstart on the festivities and arrive up to five days in advance to hangout, guarantee the best camping spot, and enjoy the things the Westman Islands have to offer.
See more South Iceland highlights
Reykjanes peninsula
Brimketill lavarock pool
Brimketill is a pool-shaped, lavarock formation that is located right along the coast in Grindavik. While the beautiful pool-like structure is amazing to look at, there are some brave souls that decide to take the plundge, and swim in the volcanic structure. The legend goes that a troll like woman, named Oddný, once occupied the pool. However, tourists are the primary occupants of the present day location.
See more Reykjanes peninsula highlights
Best of Iceland This Week is a guide for those who are curious about what's going on across Iceland and want local recommendations about events, activities and places of interest. This is the only Icelandic guide of its kind. New every week.
Reykjavík
Downtown Reykjavík music festival
If sleeping in a tent is not really your thing, Innipúkinn just might be. The title of the music festival is loosely translated as ‘couch potato’, and geared towards people who prefer staying in Reykjavik, i.e. ‘staying in’, rather than wanting to go camping in the potential rain. Innipúkinn Festival is being held for the 13th time this year, and stretches from Friday to Sunday evening (August 1st-3rd) where bands will be playing at Húrra Bar and Gaukurinn Bar.
See more Reykjavík and capital area highlights
West Iceland
Classical music
Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir plays Bach’s Sonata in a-minor for violin at Gljúfrasteinn at 4 pm on Sunday. Gljúfrasteinn was the home and workplace of Halldór Laxness, the only Icelandic Nobel laureate, and is located in Mosfellsdalur, a twenty-minute drive from central Reykjavík.
See more West Iceland highlights
Westfjords
Mud-football and music in the West fjords
Mýrarboltinn, or Mud-Football is a weekend-long event in Ísafjörður town in the Westfjords of Iceland. It is a 6-a-side football match, but played in a quicksand of mud. Teams are generally made up of groups of friends, many of whom who have put serious effort into creating team uniforms to show up in. But if you’re without a team, it’s no problem! You can either just be a less-muddy spectator, or send a quick email to the organizers and ask to join a catch-all team, as they call it, “a collection of oddballs both from Iceland and around the world”. In addition to the football there are numerous concerts and live music acts during the weekend.
See more Westfjords highlights
North Iceland
Herring adventure family festival in Siglufjörður town
The build up to the Síldarævintýrið, or The Great Herring Adventure in Siglufjörður town starts a week before the first weekend of August, with various activities in the town. The offfical festival kicks of on Friday August 1st and last until the Monday 4th.
The weekend is packed with entertainment for the whole family, and camping-sites and guesthouses are available for guests in the town. For a break from all the herring, Siglufjörður is home to a beautiful golf-course that will be open over the weekend for those who want to enjoy some midnight-sun (or daytime) golfing.
See more North Iceland highlights
East Iceland
Neskaupsstaður Neistaflug music and family festiva
Neskaupsstaður will host Neistaflug music and family festival this upcoming bank-holiday-weekend featuring over 40 bands and other acts. The town itself has only 1420 inhabitants, the largest population in the East Fjords. However, flocks of people are expected to come to the town in hopes of rocking out with some of Iceland´s best bands. Join the masses that will be celebrating the bank-holiday-weekend in style. Among artists that are performing are bands Dimma and Buff and Iceland's most popular solo musician Páll Óskar.
See more East Iceland highlights
South Iceland
The biggest bank holiday weekend festival is in Westman Islands
Þjóðhátíð Festival in Westman Islands is by far the largest of the Verslunarmannahelgi bank holiday weekend with between 10.000 to 16,000 people (nearly 4-times the island’s population) attending each year.
Officially, Þjóðhátíð starts on Friday (August 1st 2014) and last until Sunday that same weekend. A number of people like to get a headstart on the festivities and arrive up to five days in advance to hangout, guarantee the best camping spot, and enjoy the things the Westman Islands have to offer.
See more South Iceland highlights
Reykjanes peninsula
Brimketill lavarock pool
Brimketill is a pool-shaped, lavarock formation that is located right along the coast in Grindavik. While the beautiful pool-like structure is amazing to look at, there are some brave souls that decide to take the plundge, and swim in the volcanic structure. The legend goes that a troll like woman, named Oddný, once occupied the pool. However, tourists are the primary occupants of the present day location.
