Welcome to Culture Night 2026

Ritstjórn
Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir opens Culture Night on Klapparstígur with DJ Margeir Karítas Guðjónsdóttir
Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir opens Culture Night on Klapparstígur with DJ Margeir

Culture Night kicked off with great fanfare at 12:30 p.m. today at MOMENT with DJ Margeir. Despite a light drizzle, the city center buzzed with attendees who dressed for the weather.

Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir started the Reykjavík Marathon at 8:15 a.m. today alongside participants in the full and half marathons. Other running routes included a 10-kilometer race and a fun run; despite wet conditions, everyone kept their spirits high and dressed for the occasion.

Happy runners at the Reykjavík Marathon this morning
Ánægðir hlaupara í Reykjavíkurmaraþoni í morgun

Culture Night officially launched at 12:30 p.m. on Klapparstígur, where DJ Margeir—a Culture Night fixture—took the helm at MOMENT to keep the dance floor alive well into the evening. Dans Brynju Péturs performed a specially selected dance, antiquarian bookseller Ari Gísli Bragason read a poem, and Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir formally opened Culture Night.

Dans Brynju Péturs dazzled the crowd at this morning's Culture Night opening
Hópur frá Dans Brynju Péturs sýndi glæsileg dansspor á setningu Mennigarnætur í morgun. Ljósmynd: Karítas Guðjónsdóttir.

As this year's Culture Night guest of honor, the Reykjavík Forestry Association has transformed Tjarnarsalur into an enchanted forest where visitors can explore the organization's vital work in Heiðmörk. The exhibit also features the photography display "Frá rofabörðum til borgarskóga" ("From Erosion Banks to City Forests"), tracing the Reykjavík Forestry Association's history. 

Reykjavík Forestry Association Executive Director Auður Kjartansdóttir and Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir in the association's enchanted forest inside Tjarnarsalurinn. Photog. Karítas Guðjónsdóttir
Auður Kjartansdóttir, framkvæmdastjóri Skógræktarfélags Reykjavíkur og Hildur Björnsdóttir, borgarstjóri í ævintýraskóginum í Tjarnarsalnum. Ljósmynd Karítas Guðjónsdóttir

Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir welcomed the honorees to Reykjavík City Hall, noting the privilege of hosting both them and the forest under one roof for Culture Night. The Reykjavík Forestry Association donated its photograph collection to the Reykjavík Museum of Photography for safekeeping, highlighting the importance of preserving this chapter of the city's history for future generations.

Crowds fill Tjarnarsalur to explore the enchanted forest of the Reykjavík Forestry Association, this year's Culture Night guest of honor. Photograph: Karítas Guðjónsdóttir
Fjölmenni á dagskrá Skógræktarfélagsins í Tjarnarsalnum. Ljósmynd Karítas Guðjónsdóttir

The rest of the day features packed entertainment, including dance, music, singing, a bench press competition, Tónaflóð at Arnarhóll, and Bylgjan's 40th-anniversary concert at Hljómskálagarðurinn.

Culture Night is a family holiday, and the atmosphere inside the enchanted forest feels nothing short of joyful. Photograph: Karítas Guðjónsdóttir
Menningarnótt er fjölskylduhátið og hér er glatt á hjalla í ævintýraskóginum í Tjarnarsalnum í Ráðhúsi Reykjavíkur. Ljósmynd Karítas Guðjónsdóttir.

Culture Night serves as a family holiday, wrapping up at 10 p.m. tonight with a fireworks display. Families are encouraged to travel to the city center together and head home together. 

Enjoy!