In light of the recent COVID wave in Iceland, Menningarnótt (Culture Night) has been cancelled.
The decision was reached at an emergency meeting of the Reykjavik city council yesterday, August 4th.
Þórdís Lóa Þórhallsdóttir, chairman of the city council, stated:
“We made this decision with the interest of all citizens in the direction of the city. It’s very sad to have to cancel this great day again.”
She further went on to say that although Reykjavik’s way of life must go on, the most vulnerable members of the community must be protected.
The full statement can be found below:
Menningarnótt, or Culture Night, is traditionally scheduled for the first Saturday after the 18th of August. It was to take place on the 21st of August this year.
Menningarnótt has become one of the largest festivals in Iceland, featuring many of Iceland’s most popular musicians and often attracting crowds in excess of 100,000.
Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.
You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.
Also you can get regular news from Iceland—including the latest notifications on eruptions, as soon as they happen—by signing up to our newsletter.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!