Winter Festival in Hafnarfjörður 2019

The Winter Festival will be held from 7th to 10th February 2019. The festival takes place in all six municipalities of the capital region. This festival of light and darkness consists of three main pillars: Museum Night, Swimming Pool Night and light art, along with over 150 events where numerous artists take part in creating a unique atmosphere in the city.

Museum Night will be held on Friday evening, 8 February 2019, when the exhibitions open. 53 collections open their doors and offer a fun and varied programme from 18:00 to 23:00. The emphasis will be on offering unconventional events this evening and giving visitors a new perspective on the museums. Residents and visitors of all ages can enjoy the Museum Night free of charge late into the evening.

At the Folk Museum, the Library and Hafnarborg A fun and varied programme related to computers and music will be on offer during the museum night. Students from the Hafnarfjörður Music School will perform at all venues to celebrate Music School Day. There will be programming classes and Fortnite dance lessons, and visitors can try out virtual reality and augmented reality at the Library.

In the Museum's Storehouse, you will be able to try out consoles from the last century, and historian Bjarki Þór Jónsson will talk about selected excerpts from the history of video games, from PONG to Fortnite. In the Beggubúð, you can view fascinating objects in the dark, and Annríki – National Costumes and Jewellery – showcases the bathhouse artefacts in the Sívertsen House. 

At Hafnarborg, there will be a music workshop for children and parents, where the possibilities of the Icelandic music app Mussila will be introduced, and the evening will conclude with a Silent Disco, a unique way to experience music. Listeners dance to music transmitted through wireless headphones, whilst also having a unique opportunity to experience visual art.

Full programme for the Museum Night in Hafnarfjörður

Swimming pool night

A swimming pool night will be held on Saturday evening, 9th February 2019, when swimming will be free from 17:00 to 22:00 at twelve swimming pools of the Capital Region. The events in the pools will be of various kinds, and guests will get to experience a unique and unusual evening in the magical darkness. Light, darkness and joy will be all-pervading, with guests being encouraged to take part by relaxing and enjoying the moment.

Ásvallalaug will be open late and offering a fun programme for the Night at the Pool on Saturday, 9th February from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Visitors to Ásvallalaug will get to experience a unique evening where light, darkness and joy will reign supreme. Visitors are encouraged to take part by dancing, singing or simply relaxing and enjoying the moment.

Full programme for the swimming pool night at Ásvallalaug

Light art

Around thirty buildings in the capital region will be illuminated in the signature colours of the Winter Lights Festival, green and purple, in addition to which light art installations will be on several key buildings in the capital region; Hallgrímskirkja, the Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Gallery of Iceland, Harpa and Reykjavík City Hall.