More visited Hafnarborg – Many events ahead 

A harbour city in the heart of the city centre

Attendance at Hafnarborg, the cultural and arts centre of Hafnarfjörður, increased by 14% between the years 2024 and 2025. Ten new exhibitions opened during the year. 70 advertised events were held. Of these, 20 were major concerts. 

Aldís Arnardóttir, director of Hafnarborg, says 2025 has been a fantastic year. „A very diverse range of exhibitions and events.“ 

Colonisation in the Harbour City

She says of Pétur Thomsen's exhibition Settlement was among the highlights of the year. It was held at Hafnarborg from November 2024 to February 2025. Pétur received the award. Artist of the Year at the 2025 Icelandic Art Awards for the exhibition. 

„It's difficult to choose between shows, but it was particularly enjoyable to follow Peter's show and see the result. And with all due respect, I would also like to mention the Song Festival at Hafnarborg.“ 

The programme for the Singing Festival was magnificent. „Eight concerts were scheduled over a two-week period, in addition to workshops. It's always a hive of activity for us when the Singing Festival is on. It was in June last year and will be at the same time again next summer. I urge everyone not to miss out. It's an ambitious singing programme and many of our most brilliant musicians will be performing.“ 

Hafnarfjörður Art Museum

Valdimar Víðisson, the mayor, looks back on the Hafnarborg year on his Facebook page and says that Hafnarfjörður residents are extremely proud of Hafnarborg, which was founded in 1983. Immediately upon its foundation, Hafnarborg became the home of the art collection of the City of Hafnarfjörður.  

„The couple, Ingibjörg Sigurjónsdóttir, a pharmacist, and Sverrir Magnússon, a chemist, gifted the house to the town along with a substantial collection of artworks and books,“ he says there. „Hafnarborg has around 1,600 works of art. New works were added to the collection during the year, including pieces by Pétur Thomsen, Arngrímur Ýr, Guðrún Bergsdóttir and Eggert Pétursson.“ 

Lots going on this year

Aldís says there will be numerous events and exhibitions at Hafnarborg this year. „The programme will continue to be very diverse, both in terms of exhibitions and publications. We always have different focuses in mind for the exhibitions so that everyone can find something to their liking.“ She is particularly excited about the autumn exhibition.  

„The working title is The Spassian. The perspective is new and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I'm also excited about the November exhibition. In recent years, we have, among other things, been focusing on artists who are already established but are young and on the up. This year, it's Styrmir Örn Guðmundsson who will have a solo exhibition in the main hall,“ says Aldís. „The same can be said of the upcoming exhibition by artists Lukasz Bury and Weronika Balcerak, which opens at the museum at the beginning of March.“ 

„With different shows, we get different visitors into the building. Yes, the diversity is paying off,“ says Aldís, adding that 2026 will bring many exciting things.  

An exciting year ahead

„I'm looking forward to seeing the Library in its new location. The town centre has really come alive since Fjörður expanded. There's a real buzz here in the heart of Hafnarfjörður, and that benefits us,“ she says.  

„Attendance was particularly high in November and December. The exhibition by Eggert Pétursson Red has great appeal and runs until 1st March. So the Christmas Village also had an impact. It translated directly to us and we saw a significant increase in visitors at weekends.“ 

Aldís echoes Valdimar's words, urging everyone to take the time to enjoy all that Hafnarborg has to offer. He says: „A fantastic team is there to give you a very warm welcome.“ She says: „We hope that your visit to us is always an enjoyable and worthwhile experience!“ 

•  Don't miss out Tour of the exhibition Roða, 18 January