Winter Lights Festival 2025 – Schedule moved to February 7 due to weather
The Winter Lights Festival has been rescheduled to Friday, February 7, due to weather conditions. An orange weather alert has been issued for the capital area on Thursday, February 6, from 3am to 5pm. As a result, the festival has been postponed by one day. The festival program remains unchanged, and all events are free to attend.
The festival will kick off on Friday, February 7, at 6:30pm at Ingólfstorg. Mayor Einar Þorsteinsson will open the festival by illuminating the Lightbattle III light art installation at Ingólfstorg. The Dutch light design company Venividimultiplex, which specializes in light art installations, created the piece. This popular interactive installation has been showcased worldwide.
The installation features two interactive light arches with six bicycles, three on each side. Participants hop on the bikes and pedal as fast as they can. The bicycles power the LED light arch. Faster pedaling intensifies the colors, creating a dazzling light and color display.
Light Trail
This year's Light Trail features 20 works creatively illuminating the dark winter days, forming a walking route from Hallgrímskirkja church to Reykjavík City Hall.
Sólóló won the competition for light art installations at the Winter Lights Festival 2025. Veitur Utilities and Reykjavík City sponsor the work. Sólólól will illuminate the darkness like a daylight lamp at Bernhöftstorfa square. The artwork broadens horizons and shows us how the solar stars in our surroundings look. Viewers connect to a website with their phones and choose from 6 different suns to explore and bathe in their light. Rebekka Ashley Egilsdóttir and Þorkell Máni Þorkelsson created Sólólól.
Spegill spegill, a light art installation premiering at Austurvöllur square during the festival, consists of 10 mirror columns. Light projected onto the columns creates a beautiful spectacle as it reflects between them. The art group VHR created the work, a collaboration between the Winter Lights Festival and Veitur Utilities.
Frelsaðir by light artist Örn Ingólfsson will be projected onto Hallgrímskirkja church. The work simultaneously symbolizes light, hope, and emotions. This is his third work on the Light Trail. His first, Fangaðir, was at the old prison on Skólavörðustígur. The second was projected from Gróðurhúsið at Lækjartorg. This year, Frelsaðir adorns Hallgrímskirkja.
Light art installations and related events run nightly during the festival from 6:30pm to 10:30pm.
Museum Night
Museum Night takes place Friday, February 7, 2025, offering festival visitors access to about 40 museums across the capital area. The event features a fun and diverse program. The focus will be on providing unconventional events during the evening and giving visitors a new perspective on the museums. Museums will be open from 6pm to 11pm with free admission.
World Light - The Life and Death of an Artist
The Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús opens Ragnar Kjartansson's exhibition "World Light - The Life and Death of an Artist." The work is a film shown on four screens, based on Halldór Kiljan Laxness's novel "World Light" (1937-40). The video installation's structure mirrors Laxness's four-part novel.
At the opening, Ragnar Kjartansson, Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir and Halldór Halldórsson will discuss the work's origin. Ten years ago, a group of Icelandic artists led by Kjartansson transformed a Vienna art museum into a film studio to create a movie based on Laxness's "World Light."
Rafleiðsla will be held for the second time in the old power station's engine room at Elliðaárstöð in Elliðaárdalur on February 7 from 6pm to 9pm. Rafleiðsla is a sound bath featuring deep listening and tuning meditation, blending composed music with improvisation.
Aðalstræti 10 houses a replica of Silli & Valdi's colonial goods store from 1955. The store provides a great backdrop for fun photos with friends and family on Museum Night.
The Settlement Exhibition offers games and a chance to spot 12 small, colorful mice living in the museum. The mice scurry about, and visitors can try to find them. Visitors can learn spindle spinning and hear about women in ancient sagas who performed spinning magic.
The HEY improv group will perform creative guided tours among the sculptures at the Einar Jónsson Museum. Improv tours are always an unexpected and fun adventure for both visitors and performers.
Other events include a Poetry Slam at Grófin, an animal-themed drawing workshop at the Museum of Photography, a resistance-themed event at the National Archives, and an evening gathering with the Iðunn Poetry Society at the National Museum.
Pool Night
Pool Night will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025, with free admission to Laugardalslaug Pool from 5pm to 11pm.
Visitors will experience a unique and unusual evening in captivating darkness. Spectacular circus acts, singing with troubadour Tómas Helgi, and DJ Fusion Groove keep the party going.
Calming whale sounds at the geothermal beach
For the first time, the geothermal beach will host activities during Pool Night. Free entry is from 6pm to 10pm, featuring a whale-themed program in partnership with Whales of Iceland. Guests relaxing in the hot tubs at the geothermal beach listen to soothing whale sounds and see whale images from Whales of Iceland. Event organizers hope visitors will take this opportunity to relax and connect with the giants of the sea.
Suðurbæjarlaug pool in Hafnarfjörður offers free admission from 4pm to 6pm with an energizing entertainment program. The cheerful Zumba instructors lead Aqua Zumba. Bringing a cap or swim cap is recommended!
Ásvallalaug Pool offers free admission from 4pm to 8pm! Visitors to Ásvallalaug can enjoy a unique duck-themed evening. Duck Games at 5pm and 6pm – Cannonball contest – Who can make the biggest splash? 5:30pm and 6:30pm – Diving contest – Who can retrieve the ducks from the pool bottom? Prizes available! 4pm to 8pm – Donald Duck on the big screen!
Light, darkness, and joy will prevail, and guests are encouraged to relax and enjoy the moment.
Entertainment program in Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Garðabær, and Seltjarnarnes
Kópavogur offers an intriguing and lively program for Museum Night. Events include a major concert, a new light art installation at Kópavogur Church, performances, DJ Ívar Pétur, karaoke, bird watching, and poetry readings.
Hafnarfjörður offers a varied program including art workshops, flashlight tours, national costumes and jewelry, scavenger hunts, music and more.
Garðabær features family bingo, Tarot readings, and jazz concerts with Margrét Eir and friends. The Museum of Design and Applied Art hosts a party program. The "Barbie Goes to the Design Museum" exhibit opens, featuring custom-designed Barbie clothes by seven fashion designers, followed by dancing with Sigga Soffía and a DJ to end the evening.
Seltjarnarnes Library offers an entertainment program from 4pm to 7pm. Activities include bingo, art exhibits, music, visits from children's book authors Bergrún Íris and Gunnar Theódór, a scavenger hunt, crafts, prizes, hot dogs, popsicles, and more fun events.
All Winter Lights Festival events offer free admission. Everyone is welcome!
Find more details about the Winter Lights Festival program at https://reykjavik.is/en/winter-lights-festival