A record number of festival goers made their way to the Westman Islands this past weekend to cut loose, drink their faces off, hook up and enjoy the great Icelandic outdoors at Þjóðhátíð. The 2008 festival was the previous record breaker, with 13,000 attendees, but the 13,500 – 14,000 bodies on the scene this year blew that number out of the water.
Called the Merchant’s Weekend, the first weekend of August marks a wave of family celebrations and music festivals all over the island, with the Westman Islands festival being the largest and oldest of the bunch. The festival attendees more than tripled the total population of the host island this year. It’s not surprising that so many flock to Þjóðhátíð considering it was named the greatest festival in the world by popular travel publication Rough Guides back in 2006.
Despite the mass attendance, the festival went off without a hitch, with the police reporting only 25 arrests for possession of illegal drugs and no other major infractions taking place. The weather was also top-notch, so maybe those poor few who found themselves up against the law at least got some sun prior to being apprehended.
With a record number of party people enjoying Þjóðhátíð this weekend, does that mean that a record number of labour pains will be felt next May? The anticipation is palpable!
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