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This weekend is the biggest travel weekend of the summer in Iceland. Monday is a day off for most people and there are festivals and events all over the country.
Traditionally Reykjavik used to all-but empty for the weekend nearest the 1st August each year: Verslunarmannahelginn. These days the Innipukinn music festival means Reykjavik is part of the fun — but the countryside is still the place to be! Huge numbers of people also take Friday off and will start clogging up the roads today.
Outdoor festivals this year come in all shapes and sizes. The biggest one, as usual, is Thjodhatid on the Westman Islands, where some of the country’s biggest acts will take to the enormous stage to entertain the many thousands of (usually drunk and young) people. Thjodhatid is a right of passage event that everyone should try at least once. But if you don’t have your tickets and ferry place booked already, you will probably want to wait until next year.
The family-orientated Ein Med Ollu festival will take over the northern city of Akureyri this weekend as Verslunarmannahelgi tradition dictates. The same is true of the heavy rock festival, Neistaflug in the eastern town of Neskaupstadur. The Herring Adventure in Siglufjordur and Alfaborgarsens in Borgarfjordur Eystri are also popular events.
There is also plenty to do for those wanting to avoid alcohol this weekend: The National Centre of Addiction Medicine is holding its annual outdoor festival by Hvalfjordur fjord and Saeludagar in Vatnskogur is also a dry event. Then there is the national youth athletics meet taking place in Egilsstadir.
Stokkseyri will celebrate its Faroe Islands festival and Fludir in South Iceland will also have a family-friendly schedule of events.
Last but not least is the annual European Mud Soccer championships in the Westfjords town of Isafjordur. The event has grown every year and has never had more teams registered than this year. Players are coming from all over Europe and Canada; but the parties and live music events make mud soccer as much fun for the many spectators as for players. The Icelandic national football cup semi final match will also be held in Isafjordur this weekend between local side BI Bolungarvik and Reykjavik giants, KR.
Can’t make up your mind where to go in Iceland this weekend, RUV asks. Why not let the weather forecast be your guide?!
