News

This year’s Iceland Airwaves music festival which was to be held the 4th - 7th of November, will be postponed until 2021. This is due to restrictions because of Covid-19.

The annual Reykjavík Jazz Festival will be held from the 29th of August - 5th of September. The festival hosts performances in a variety of styles, from contemporary jazz and the avant-garde to Latin jazz, gospel and big bands.

RÚV reports that "Iceland is the most peaceful country on earth for the 13th year in a row, according to the latest Institute for Economics & Peace analysis. New Zealand is second on the newest list and Portugal third. IEP has been compiling the Global Peace Index every year since 2008." 

Construction is about to begin for a new geothermal lagoon in Kársnes in Kópavogur. Plans are for the spot to open in 2021 with a hot spring, a cold pool and saunas. Further construction will take place once the first aspect has been completed as the project has been split into four parts.

Little Iceland is growing a little bit but there is still plenty of room to roam. "The number of people living in Iceland increased by around half a percent during the first quarter of this year to 366,130 people."

"Netflix is currently in production in both South Korea and Iceland, thanks to those countries’ strong response in containing and tracking the novel coronavirus."

"Iceland has coronavirus under control thanks to a strict policy of test, trace and isolate, the country's prime minister has told Sky News."

"Iceland has reached a landmark in its fight against Covid-19, with no new confirmed cases reported on Friday, the first time this has happened since the start of the global pandemic."

With impressive number of quality restaurants, and with award winning chefs that are creating both imaginative and delicious cuisine, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Iceland´s national culinary team came in third place in the Culinary Olympics!

We are so proud of “our” Hildur Guðnadóttir, the first Icelander ever to win the Oscar, and the first female Oscar Score winner in 23 years!!! When accepting the award, she encouraged women to speak up and let their voices be heard

This Saturday, February 1st, many of Reykjavík's most iconic music venues are opening their doors to the public with exciting free events during the day
One such venue is Harpa, Icelands biggest concert venue.

New Year’s Bonfires (Áramótabrennur) will be in 10 places in the Reykjavík Capital area this year and in a similar manner as before. You can join the locals and experience old age customs and traditions of the New Year’s celebration. 

New Year’s Bonfires are lit at 20:30 in all places except at Skerjafjörður and Úlfarsfell.

These are the locations for the 2019 New Year’s Bonfires in Reykjavík:    

• Ægisíða
• Skerjafjörður, by the street Skildinganes 48 - 52 (lit at 9 pm)
• Suðurhlíðar, below the Fossvogur valley cemetery
• West of Laugarásvegur, by Valbjarnarvöllur sports area
• Geirsnef
• Suðurfell
• Fylkisbrenna, by Rauðavatn
• Gufunes, by the old recycling centre
•  Kléberg in Kjalarnes
•  Úlfarsfell, by Lambhagavegur, (lit at 3 pm) 

People are urged not to fire up fireworks at the bonfires. 

There are three areas that are dedicated for the use of fireworks in downtown Reykjavík on New Year’s, they are: 

• Landakot
• Skólavörðuholt - Hallgrímskirkja
• Klambratún

Please be careful when using fireworks in crowded areas. It is recommended to use safety glasses when handling fireworks as well as gloves. Safety glasses can be found were fireworks are purchased.

Best wishes and happy New Year!