Reykjavík Culture Night

Reykjavik Culture Night is one of the most popular events in Icelandic art life. It is estimated that at least 100 thousand people gathered together this day.

The most fit started the day by taking part in the Reykjavík Marathon that starts in the morning. The day is loaded with organized as well as unorganized events where all that are interested in culture and art make their mark.

We don't show up until the afternoon. Already a great number of people has gathered in Reykjavík Center. We manage to find a parking spot for the car up by Hallgrímskirkja. From there it is easy and fun to walk down Skólavörðustígur and all the way down town.

Wherever you look you find amusing acts for kids as well as adults. This hillarious clown draws unlimited attention by the youngest generation.

Almost each an every art gallery in Reykjavík center is open and showing works of art and sometimes the artists themselves are even working at their art.

Despite of this art gallery is relatively traditional the artists show their fun flow of ideas. Here they offer popcorn on a long table and in so doing create a unique pop-art.

A special emphasis is on musical performance on various origin. These Vikings rock hard in one of the alleys.

National folk songs ware song in a powerful way outside the old Geysir house.

A bull grilled in whole is something you don't see every day. This gigantic pice of meat has rolled on the bar for over 24 hours. They have only recently begun cutting delicious chunks offered to guests and passers by by Icelandic cattle farmers.

This handsome pair had just finished their face painting and have indeed gone through a lot of work to make their outfit matching.

Weather in Iceland has been unreliably good for the past weeks. The temperature has been well over twenty degrees Celsius for many days. Many say that the weather is "foreign". The art gallery Blómálfurinn could just as well be situated in Spain or Italy with all these colorful pavement stones.

An Ice sculpture outside of KB Bank leads the way to an art hall where a new method of providing art lovers with art works is being introduces. Now it is possible to rent works of art for a determined time.

It is possible to rent this three dimensional art work by Hulda Hákon. The picture is a portrait of Andrea Gylfadóttir and Ragnhildur Gísladóttir, they are two of the most popular singers in the country.

The atmosphere is relaxed and people is enjoying the good weather, stopping and chatting with each other. Sunlight lasts a while into the night and at around nine o'clock it is still light.

Anna Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir draws attention for her originality. I am not certain what this is supposed to be, but it reminds me of some sort of an animal, maybe a buffalo or even some kind of an insect.

Fun Lego guy's painted by Sigrún Eldjárn.

As the evening develops, more lightness enters the scene with music that is easy to dance with.

Ólöf Björg is busy painting a picture in the window of the shop of Sævar Karl. It is always great fun to watch other people work!

The old guy in Kolaportið whose dried fish I buy, surprised us by singing old familiar songs along with his friends.

Energetic musical concert of Bubbi Morteins and Egó at the port prepared us for the thing everybody was waiting for...

The Fireworks!

Thanks for a terrific day.

Þrándur Arnþórsson