Culture Night

Magazine Culture Night

Say it with me: Menningarnótt.

Backyard discos, open-air art exhibits, concerts, food stands, shiny disco balls swinging from street lamps and a techno rave going on underneath it… If you are coming to Iceland mid-August, there is an unforgettable event happening in downtown Reykjavík on August 18th you cannot miss.

Literally. The Reykjavík Culture Night – or Menningarnótt in Icelandic – spreads out to museums, shops, streets and people’s homes like the fresh air from the sea. The Reykjavík City Council created it in 1996, and it is estimated that up to 100.000 people attend the festivities. The Culture Night marks the beginning of the cultural year in Reykjavík, and most of the cultural institutions, like museums, theaters and such announce their programs for the year.

Some of the events are hosted by museums, the city or other organizations but most of Menningarnótt happens thanks to the residents of Reykjavík. Basically, anyone can set up a Menningarnótt event and even apply for a grant from the city to make it happen! Any event can also be signed up on the Menningarnótt website, to become a part of the program.

This year the program has, for example, a poetry shop, where you can get made-to-order poems, visits to the Coast Guard Vessel Odin, and an open salsa dancefloor!

The primary goal of Reykjavík Culture Night is to present a diverse, fun and vibrant programme of cultural activities for everyone. The programme takes place from 1 pm to 11 pm, ending with a concert and fireworks downtown near the harbor. All Menningarnótt events are free of charge.

So put your adventurous mode on, head to town and follow the sounds!

More online: www.culturenight.is

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