This Saturday, Iceland’s capital will be filled with concerts, art displays and all sorts of interesting events for Reykjavik Culture Night 2015.
Reykjavík Culture Night takes place annually in August and the day marks the start of the fall and winter season for the Icelandic art scene.
This year, the event celebrates its 20th anniversary with the theme “Come on in!” – as a reference to the old-fashioned hospitality of Icelanders. Events take place all over Reykjavík; in squares, museums and even people’s gardens, and they are all free as a way of letting everyone enjoy this fantastic day.
Here is a brief summary of events, effects on transportation, and what happens with restaurants and the nightlife!
Things to do
The entire program for Culture Night can be found on the event’s website but here are a few interesting events to give you guys an idea about what is happening:
The day is then wrapped up with a fireworks show at 11 PM, and a good spot to watch it is at Arnarhóll or down by our concert hall Harpa. You can even have a drink at SkyBar in Centerhótel Arnarhvoll, as the view there is fantastic.
Transportation
Saturday August 22nd, the streets of the city center will be closed of for better access for those enjoying the festival on foot. Detail information about transportation on this day can be found on the official website, but here are the main things:
- Taxis will be located at Hallgrímskirkja (the big church), BSÍ bus terminal and near Landakotskirkja (the Catholic church).
- On Culture Night, all public buses are free. The timetable will follow the regular Saturday schedule but since the center is closed no buses will go through there. Those wanting to use these buses can take them to or from Hlemmur or at the bus stop across the street from the BSÍ bus terminal.
- Those that have pick-up service for their tours in the closed-off zone: you need to contact the tour supplier to get information on where to go for the pick up.
- At 11 PM, all regular routes will be disabled and the buses used to transport people from the center to the suburbs. The buses will leave from the BSÍ and Hlemmur and the list of what bus goes where can be found on the official website.
- Some additional streets will be closed because of the Reykjavík Marathon – information on that can be found on the marathon’s website.
Wining and dining
When it comes to eating out on Saturday it’s first come, first serve, as most restaurants don’t take down reservations. Also, some of the restaurants alter their menus a little bit to be able to better serve their customers on this very busy night.
Going for a drink or two is good while waiting for your table, and for those wanting to party all night; expect the pubs and clubs to be crowded. A lot of Icelanders think of Culture Night partying as a must in their social calendar so you should be in for a fun night!
So, there we have it – everything you should know for Saturday’s Culture Night. You are also welcome to drop by our office for a cup of coffee and a chat with our staff as What’s On is open every day from 8 AM to 9 PM.
(Hate crowds? Uncultured? Want to get out of town? Why not take a tour?)
