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Upcoming: Iceland's big festival weekend 4738

13. mar 2023 20:38

With Iceland's biggest domestic travel and festival weekend coming up we have a word of advice: if you don't like heavy partying, live music and general fun you should stay well clear of the festivals mentioned below. In addition to those festivals smaller organised events can be found around the country and beware of that some campsites might turn into unofficial gathering of young people hell bent on having the time of their life. 

The weekend is called Verslunarmannahelgi (English: Shopkeepers weekend) and it's place on the calendar is the preceding weekend to the annual bank holiday on the first Monday in August. And as always it is chock-full with events across the country.

The largest event, without a doubt, is in Vestmannaeyjar islands (Westman Islands), where more than 10,000 people come together to enjoy a variety of performances by the famous and the less famous; sing and dance; and be generally merry.

This weekend might be a good time to visit the capital as a large chunk of the locals head for the country site, while another part of the city dwellers absolutely refuse to leave, especially during this long party weekend. Actually our favourite festival is in the centre of the capital, see below.

Þjóðhátíð í Eyjum (The Festival of the Nation in Westman Islands)
Þjóðhátíð Festival in VestmannaeyjarIslands is by far the largest of the Verslunarmannahelgi bank holiday weekend each year, with between 10.000 to 16,000 people (nearly 4-times the island’s population) partying around the clock for at least three days.
Officially, Þjóðhátíð starts on Friday (29 July) and last until Sunday night with gueasts reuturning home on Monday. A number of people like to get a head start on the festivities and arrive up to five days in advance to hangout, guarantee the best camping spot, and enjoy the things the islands have to offer. Go to Þjóðhátíð Festival for line-up, more info and tickets.

Innipúkinn – 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.

One of the bands performing is the great Hjaltalín, sound bite below.

Innipúkinn Festival is being held for the 15th time this year, and stretches from Friday to Sunday evening where bands will be playing at Húrra Bar and Gaukurinn Bar. For for line-up, more info go to Innipúkinn festival. Tickets are available here, but act fast, it sold out last year.

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.
More about Mýrararboltinn festival

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.

Herring_Museum.jpg

Old school Showing how it was done in the past. Photo/www.sild.is

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. 
More about the Great Herring Adventure

With Iceland's biggest domestic travel and festival weekend coming up we have a word of advice: if you don't like heavy partying, live music and general fun you should stay well clear of the festivals mentioned below. In addition to those festivals smaller organised events can be found around the country and beware of that some campsites might turn into unofficial gathering of young people hell bent on having the time of their life. 

The weekend is called Verslunarmannahelgi (English: Shopkeepers weekend) and it's place on the calendar is the preceding weekend to the annual bank holiday on the first Monday in August. And as always it is chock-full with events across the country.

The largest event, without a doubt, is in Vestmannaeyjar islands (Westman Islands), where more than 10,000 people come together to enjoy a variety of performances by the famous and the less famous; sing and dance; and be generally merry.

This weekend might be a good time to visit the capital as a large chunk of the locals head for the country site, while another part of the city dwellers absolutely refuse to leave, especially during this long party weekend. Actually our favourite festival is in the centre of the capital, see below.

Þjóðhátíð í Eyjum (The Festival of the Nation in Westman Islands)
Þjóðhátíð Festival in VestmannaeyjarIslands is by far the largest of the Verslunarmannahelgi bank holiday weekend each year, with between 10.000 to 16,000 people (nearly 4-times the island’s population) partying around the clock for at least three days.
Officially, Þjóðhátíð starts on Friday (29 July) and last until Sunday night with gueasts reuturning home on Monday. A number of people like to get a head start on the festivities and arrive up to five days in advance to hangout, guarantee the best camping spot, and enjoy the things the islands have to offer. Go to Þjóðhátíð Festival for line-up, more info and tickets.

Innipúkinn – 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.

One of the bands performing is the great Hjaltalín, sound bite below.

Innipúkinn Festival is being held for the 15th time this year, and stretches from Friday to Sunday evening where bands will be playing at Húrra Bar and Gaukurinn Bar. For for line-up, more info go to Innipúkinn festival. Tickets are available here, but act fast, it sold out last year.

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.
More about Mýrararboltinn festival

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.

Herring_Museum.jpg

Old school Showing how it was done in the past. Photo/www.sild.is

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. 
More about the Great Herring Adventure