The celebrations in Hafnarfjörður on Seafarers' Day, 4th June, will take place at Flensborg Harbour. We encourage the people of Hafnarfjörður and their guests to make their way down to the harbour and enjoy what the harbour, for which the town is named, has to offer.

The Fisheries Research Institute will be holding a fish exhibition in the area in front of its headquarters on Háabakki, with an open house on the first floor. Visitors will be able to see specimens of fish and invertebrates, from common commercial fish such as cod and haddock to rarer species.

Hafnarfjörður Harbour offers sightseeing cruises every half an hour, The Hafnarfjörður Rescue Squad will set up rescue equipment, kayaks and rowing boats will be available from the Þyt sailing club, entertainment will take place at Flensborg Harbour, and strongmen will compete, with the strongest man in Iceland being crowned at the end of the day. In the cosy shops and art galleries by the harbour, you can find the designs and crafts of local artists. The friendly restaurants and cosy cafés in the vicinity are renowned for their excellent food.

A new photographic exhibition by the Folk Museum has been installed on the Strandstígur. Bookless Bungalow is an exhibition about the period of the foreign fleets and in Siggubæ An example of a seafarer's home in Hafnarfjörður from the first half of the 20th century can be seen.

Let's celebrate Seafarers' Day with a visit to the harbour!

Celebrations at Flensburg Harbour on Seafarers' Day, Sunday 4th June, from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Seaman's Day

Festive programme

  • 8:00 a.m. Flags lowered at the ceremony site by the harbour.
  • 10:00 AM The Hafnarfjörður Brass Band plays at Hrafnista
  • 10:30 a.m. Wreath-laying at the memorial at Víðistaðakirkja for lost seamen
  • 11:00 a.m. Seafarers' Mass at Víðistaðakirkja

Entertainment at Flensburg Harbour from 1 pm to 5 pm

  • Boat trip offered by the Port of Hafnarfjörður – departs every half hour from Óseyrarbryggja.
  • The Fisheries Research Institute's fish exhibition at Háabakki. A selection of fish and invertebrates, from common commercial fish such as cod and haddock to rarer species.
  • Strength Athlete of Iceland 2023! Strength athletes compete in spectacular feats of strength against each other on the festival grounds by the harbour. 13:00 Lorry Pull. 14:00: Dock Pole. 15:00: Log Press. 16:00: Combined Event: Farmer's Walk and Ox Walk.
  • Coffee stall by the Hraunprýði Lifesaving Society and the Björgúlfs Youth Group at Flensborg Harbour. The Hafnarfjörður Rescue Squad is setting up an obstacle course in the sea, a slide, a zip line and a pillow fight.
  • Open house at the Þyt Sailing Club. Kayaks and rowing boats available, and changing facilities for anyone who gets wet.
  • An open house on the first floor of the Institute of Marine Research and a photographic exhibition on the history of Seafarers' Day, featuring photographs of all those honoured at Seafarers' Day in Hafnarfjörður since its inception, and of those who have laid a wreath, along with their names.
  • 13:00-14:00 Rowing race
  • 13:00 The DAS band
  • 13:00-14:00 Tufti and his troll children will be roaming the harbour area.
  • At 13:30, Snorri Bjarnvin will perform aerobatics over the harbour of Hafnarfjörður in a 36-year-old, Romanian-made Yak-52 aircraft with a 360-horsepower engine.
  • At 13:30, the Hafnarfjörður Brass Band marches through the festival grounds and plays by the stage at 13:45.
  • From 2-4 pm, the Little Mermaid and the Pirate will be travelling around the festival site to greet guests.
  • 2 pm Opening: Address and honouring of seafarers
  • 14:20 Rowing awards ceremony
  • 14:30 Björgvin Franz Gíslason and Ásgeir Páll
  • 15:00 The children's best songs: Sylvía Erla and Árni Beinteinn sing and dance
  • 15:30 The singing and drama group Tónafljóð will present an enchanting musical feast.
  • 16:00: Mæja the Strawberry and Gedda the Carrot perform songs from the Fruit Basket.
  • Rescue demonstration by the Coast Guard helicopter and the Hafnarfjörður Rescue Squad
  • The presenters are Björgvin Franz Gíslason and Ásgeir Páll.

Artists' open studios, shops and restaurants

  • 13:00-16:00 The Kænunnar buffet is back, with sandwiches and the like, and seafood soup on the house.
  • 13:00-17:00 Open house at the Hafnarfjörður Icehouse, Strandgata 90. The Hafnarfjörður Icehouse comprises 30 workshops and studios for sole traders and small businesses in the creative industries. The range is extremely diverse and the building is home to activities including ceramics, graphic design, product design, writing, shipbuilding and goldsmithing.
  • 13:00-17:00 Open house at Gára Handverk. Beautiful hand-thrown pottery by eight women potters, Fornubúðir 8.
  • Open at Ramba, a shop with a curated selection of high-quality designer and homeware, at Fornubúðir 10.
  • Open at SIGN, Fornubúðir 12, where beautiful jewellery is designed and crafted.
  • Open house at ARG architects and wunderwerkz, Fornubúðir 12. Children's sailor tattoos and light refreshments.
  • 13:00-16:00 Open house at SVART DESIGN STUDIO, Fornubúðir 12. Prints, drawings, paintings and more for sale.
  • The food vans Dons Donuts and 2Guys
Hafnarfjörður Museum of Local History
  • Photographic exhibition on the Strandstígur: The Couple in the Box House.
  • The Packhouse, 6 Vesturgata, open 11:00 – 17:00. There is, among other things, the exhibition „This is how it was…“, which traces the history of the fishing village of Hafnarfjörður from its settlement to the present day.
  • Bookless Bungalow, 32 Vesturgata, open 11:00 – 17:00. An exhibition about the period of foreign fishing fleets in Hafnarfjörður during the first half of the 20th century, in the home of the Bookless brothers.
  • Siggubær, 10 Kirkjuvegur, open 11:00 – 17:00. The house is preserved as an example of a fisherman's home in Hafnarfjörður from the first half of the 20th century, where you can experience and learn about how the town's common people lived at that time.

 

Sailing facilities are at the Þyt Sailing Club, the Hafnarfjörður Icehouse, Kænan, at the oil jetty and the Institute of Marine Research.

Drone flights are prohibited in the festival area.

The harbour area will be closed to car traffic. During the celebrations: From the Sailing Club at 88 Strandgata, the Viking Longship from Flensburg Square, and the Fjord Boat from Fjord Road. Guests are encouraged to legally park cars in a car park near the event venue or in the city centre and walk or take the bus.

The programme is subject to change without notice, and events may be added or postponed.

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