You’re in luck—“Culture Night 2014”is fast approaching.
Culture night is an annual event that has become one of Iceland’s biggest festivals, with around 100.000 people expected to attend—that’s almost a third of the country’s population. Despite its name, the schedule actually fills the whole day with events and happenings starting as early as 11am.
Aside from the main stage in the city centre that will host the biggest concert, the programme will be packed with many kinds of exciting events all around the city centre. As you would expect, the emphasis is on culture and arts, but in no way does that mean that the goings-on will be homogeneous.
To name just a few, we could mention various art exhibitions, both inside and outside the art museums and numerous free guided tours in English of many of Reykjavik’s art museums. There will be dance workshops, music events and fortune-telling readings. You can even drop in for coffee and waffles at the homes or backyards of the residents of Þingholtin who, in their hospitality, will refuse to accept any payment! And if you still need a refill, you could enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee whilst listening to Turkish folk music on Laugavegur, the main shopping street. If you are a tea person, then the Tea party at Lýðsveldisgarðurinn park is perhaps more for you. Finish off by accepting a“free hug” offered by Hlutverkasetur on Laugarvegur, whether it be a short hug, long hug, one-on-one hug or even a group hug that is most too your liking.
The little ones are not forgotten and you can find family friendly events such as the Treasure Hunt in the Maritime Museum, Solar observation in Austurvöllur, Family Dance Workshop in “Dansverkstæðið”, a garden party in Þórsgata, a children’s workshop in Kjarvalsstaðir art museum and many, many more.
In short, the city will be alight with countless street parties, street dancing, street theatres, performance arts and other quirky happenings of various kinds, until the festival is rounded off with a firework display down by the harbour at midnight. Following this finale, families slip away as the nightlife takes over, with festivity and club scenes until the morning sun rises.
The events are far too many to list so we suggest you get to know the schedule yourself, right here: https://en.menningarnott.is/events
Happy Culture Night!
