Reykjavík’s annual Culture Night will be held this Saturday, August 19. Organisers expect a large turnout, and attendees are encouraged to ride their bikes or take the bus to the city centre, RÚV reports.
Visitors urged to bike or take the bus
Reykjavík’s 28th annual Culture Night will be held tomorrow, Saturday, August 19. This year’s programme will feature concerts, workshops, art exhibitions, and more, before culminating in the annual fireworks display at 11 PM (click here for more information on the programme). Meteorologists expect good visibility.
As always, attendees are urged to bike or take the bus to the city centre. As noted by RÚV, while past bus rides on Culture Night have been free – standard fares will apply this year. During the festivities, buses will depart with increased frequency on routes 1-6, 11-15.
After 10.30 PM, all buses will reroute to Sæbraut (near the Sun Voyager sculpture), from where passengers will be ferried home for free following the fireworks. Reykjavík’s nighttime bus service will commence at 1 AM.
Limited parking space
Those who intend to drive to the city centre should be mindful of limited parking space. Drivers are encouraged to park in Laugardalur or Borgartún and use the free Strætó shuttle service from the Laugardalshöll arena (with stops at Borgartún and Hlemmur en route to the Hallgrímskirkja church).
See below map for details on street closures and key locations.
Major streets including Hverfisgata, Laugavegur, Sóleyjargata, Skothúsvegur, and Geirsgata will close from 7 AM to 1 PM on Saturday, with Sæbraut being partially closed, as well.
The Reykjavík Marathon, which will be ongoing from 8 AM to 4 PM, will also affect traffic, starting today at 4 PM (see the marathon website for details).
Westman Islands the Guest of Honour
The guest of honour at this year’s Culture Night will be the Westman Islands, with representatives from the archipelago hosting an entertainment programme at Reykjavík City Hall. Mayor of Reykjavík Dagur B. Eggertsson and Mayor of the Westman Islands Íris Róbertsdóttir will hold a joint press conference at the Hljómskálagarðurinn Park at 11 AM on Saturday.
The concert at Arnarhóll will begin at 19.30 PM. Flóni, Aron Can, Diljá, Una Torfa, HAM, Klara Elias will take the stage. Ragga Gísla will close the concert, joined by Valdimar, GDRN, and Mugison.
