When tickets for the Þjóðhátíð Festival in the Westman Islands went on sale yesterday, the website of the Herjólfur ferry crashed. Þjóðhátíð’s publicity officer states that the anticipation for this year’s festival is unrivalled, as the festival has been cancelled for the past two years because of the pandemic.
Great expectations
Icelanders celebrate their annual Merchant’s Weekend, Verslunarmannahelgi, on the first Monday of August. Various festivals are thrown across the country, none as big as Þjóðhátíð in the Westman Islands, which draws an annual crowd exceeding 10,000 people.
Given that Þjóðhátíð has been cancelled for the past two years because of the pandemic, there has been much anticipation for this year’s festival.
When tickets for Þjóðhátíð went on sale yesterday, the website of the Herjólfur ferry crashed, RÚV reports. This malfunction was not entirely unexpected, however, as the website has crashed every year for the past decade on the day that ticket sales open.
Speaking to RÚV, Hörður Orri Grettisson, Director of Herjólfur, and Chairman of the Þjóðhátíð Committee, expects a record turnout at this year’s festival. There are, however, fewer tickets available since many of those who bought tickets last year have opted to transfer their tickets.
Bríet and Bubbi to headline
This year’s lineup features some of the biggest names within the Icelandic music scene: Bríet, Bubbi, the Daughters of Reykjavík, FLOTT, Emmsjé Gauti, and Hipsumhaps.
As noted by the festival’s publicity officer, Jón Gunnar Geirdal, additional acts will be announced in the coming days.
“The anticipation for this year’s Þjóðhátíð is extraordinary, simply because we’ve had to cancel the festival for the past two years on account of something of which we’ve grown tired of talking. So the excitement is unprecedented; I don’t think there’s ever been a time when the anticipation is so high,” Jón Gunnar remarked in an interview with Vísir.
This year’s Merchant Weekend falls on the final weekend of July (July 29 – August 1).
