Given the fact that Iceland has a population of just 320,000 people, it is a huge surprise for many to see the sheer number of festivals that are held every single year. You should be aware of the fact that Iceland has a huge cultural heritage and a really strong art scene. Many international artists were born here and artists from all around the world actually visit Iceland due to the fact that they are appreciated there.
Reykjavik is the main hug for festivals in the country but every single village actually has a yearly event. It can be small or big but you can find hundreds of music festivals, food festivals, camping festivals, dance festivals and art festivals. The problem with the smaller festivals is that festivities are actually handled inside homes so you will want to focus on the larger ones.
The top festivals in Iceland are listed below, in no particular order.
Westman Islands Camping Festivals
This is a weekend festival, held around the first August Monday. It is the biggest of all the camping events in the country and is held every single year for a long time. There are actually many different festivals that take place at the same time. If you want to visit the country, this is a perfect time to do so. You want to mainly consider Thjodhatid since it is the largest one. Around 12,000 people visit every single year.
Iceland Airwaves Music Festival
Commonly referred to as Icelandair, this is a really large music festival held yearly in Reykjavik. Various established and emerging international musicians and bands will participate. The 2015 edition will be November 4 to 8 and will feature Bjork as the main performer. Many of the local venues will extend festivities through minor events, making a long stay quite enjoyable.
Reykjavik Gay Pride
This festival did end up being really large in the past few years, transforming the entire city. You will see glitter everywhere, people will dance and really loud party music will be everywhere. People that are of any sexuality are welcomed, no matter the age. What is interesting is that the acceptance is really huge in the area. We even see the mayor that shows up wearing drag costumes during the event, although he is not homosexual.
Reykjavik Culture Night
Locally known as Menningarnott, Culture Night takes place on an August Saturday. It is really popular as it features art, games, concerts, pop-up shops, design, music and dance. Various interactive activities will take place all around the city with museums and galleries open for free. During the same day you can also see the small but popular Reykjavik marathon. This is a tremendous way to enjoy local life since free home baked waffles will be offered right in the home of people living in the city.
Food And Fun Festival
The last one on our list but definitely not one that you do not want to consider. In the event that you love food and you enjoy fun (sounds like practically everyone), the month of February is when you want to visit Reykjavik. This is usually a one week long festival that sees chefs from many countries visiting and cooking. The only catch is that just Icelandic ingredients are used for all dishes.
