June 17 celebrations in Reykjavík
National Day, June 17, will have varied events. There’s a parade from Hallgrímskirkja, concerts, street theater, dance parties, a circus, playground equipment, food trucks, and vintage car exhibitions at Hljómskálagarður and Klambratún and more.
Morning program at Austurvöllur
The official ceremony, hosted by Alþingi and the Prime Minister's Office, starts at Austurvöllur at 11:10 a.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on RÚV. President of Iceland, Mr. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, will lay a flower wreath on behalf of the Icelandic people at the monument of Jón Sigurðsson, and the Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, will give a festive speech. The Lady of the Mountains will address the crowd, but her identity will remain a secret until the ceremony.
After the ceremony, a parade will leave Austurvöllur for the cemetery at Suðurgata, where Þórdís Lóa Þórhallsdóttir, the City Council President, will lay a flower wreath on behalf of the people of Reykjavík at the grave of President Jón Sigurðsson and Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir. The Reykjavík Brass Band will perform during the event.
Parade
At 1 p.m., scouts will lead a grand parade from Hallgrímskirkja to the festival area in Hljómskálagarður. The parade will be varied with a giant eagle joining the crowd, circus artists showcasing their talents, and the Svanur Brass Band playing music. Everyone is welcome to join the parade.
Entertainment program at Hljómskálagarður and Klambratún
The entertainment program on June 17 will be held at Hljómskálagarður and Klambratún, in addition to events in several city districts.
Singing, dancing, a circus, bouncy castles, and flamingos will be featured at Hljómskálagarður. The bands Bogomil Font og milljónamæringarnir, Flott, Langi Seli og skuggarnir and Inspector Spacetime will perform on the main stage, with Gústi B as host. Klambratún will feature a skydiving display, Sirkus Ananas, food trucks and DJ Fusion Groove. There will also be an accordion ball at Reykjavík City Hall from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for those who want a real ballroom experience.
Árbær Open Air Museum
The National Day celebration will be held in Árbæjarsafn, with a diverse and fun program that starts at 1 p.m. As usual, the national costume and folk dances are in the forefront on this festive day, and guests are encouraged to wear their own national costumes. By Dillonshús, freshly brewed coffee and homemade delicacies will be served.
Grafarvogur
A June 17 celebration will be held at Gufunesbær in Grafarvogur from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. A fun program for the whole family. Outdoor play equipment and Vogabúar scouts teach whittling at a bonfire.
Opening of the Gufunesbær bike park, hot dogs and cotton candy, and a DJ from the youth centers will be on site. Everyone is welcome.
Laugardalur
On the occasion of Iceland's National Day and the soccer match between Iceland and Slovakia on June 17, KSÍ (Football Association of Iceland) will host a festival in Laugardalur from 3 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Everyone is welcome, even if they don't plan to attend the match. In the area by Laugardalsvöllur, there will be bouncy castles, KSÍ soccer ball handling challenges, face painting, food trucks, a sales tent with June 17 merchandise and cotton candy. National team products will also be available for purchase, and of course, there will be music, surprise appearances, and a real festive atmosphere. Everyone is welcome to Laugardalur.
The whole family should be able to find something fun on the program.
You can find the program at 17juni.is/en
