For the occasion of the Reykjavik Arts Festival 2010 quite a few foreign journalists were invited to visit and write about the Festival and Reykjavik in general as a place to visit. Among those were journalists from The New York Post and Art Newspaper, The New York Times, the Austrian Der Standard, Pohjalainen in Finland and Financial Times in Germany. They attended many of the events on the programme, as well as most of the photographic exhibitions and discussed with some of the artists involved.  

The Reykjavík Arts Festival 2010 closed this weekend with a stunning operatic performance by Kristinn Sigmundsson, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Reykjavík Opera Choir. The Festival's events numbered over 60 this year and included more than 600 artists, both Icelandic and foreign. All events were extremely well attended and received.

The Reykjavík Arts Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and, for the first time, in its history it focuses on photography.
There will be 20 exhibitions by Icelandic and foreign photographers held in art museums, galleries and in the open air.

Tickets are available on www.listahatid.is, at the Reykjavik Arts Festival Box office in Lækjargata 3 and phone (+354) 552 8588.

Opening hours in Lækjargata during the Festival, May 12 – June 5

Weekdays 10 am – 4 pm.

Weekends and Bank holidays 12 am – 4 pm.

Ticket sale and ticket pick-up will move to the venues one hour before the events.

Please be aware that online sale will close 2 hours before the events start.

Box-office manager: (+354) 898 9981.

To see the article click here.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of Reykjavik Art Festival. This spring the Festival's program includes over 60 events that represent all artforms.  Icelandic artists display new and unexpected dimensions of their art, often in collaboration with artists from abroad.

 View the programme here as a PDF document.

In the March issue of LIST, Icelandic Art News is a substantial article about the photographic exhibitions in the next edition of the Reykjavik Arts Festival. This is the first time such a special celebration of the photograph will be held in Iceland.

"The partnership of Tetzlaff and Andsnes is second to none, with a powerful physicality and intensity manifesting itself not just in the moments of astringent attack but also when the music demands weight of utterance of a more inward kind. The spectrum of shading, rhythm and phrasing is subtle and all-encompassing."

This year's programme offers a varied and colourful blend of big and small events in all fields of art; theatre, dance, music, literature and visual arts.

Reykjavík is a city of pure energy and enjoys the best of two worlds: the qualities of a modern, forward looking society, complemented by a close connection to beautiful unspoilt nature. The Reykjavík Arts Festival collaborates with the airline Iceland Express as well as Center Hotels.

The first Reykjavík Arts Festival was held in summer 1970. Ever since then the Festival has been a leading force on the Icelandic cultural scene and has been instrumental in bringing world-class artists to the Icelandic nation.

The dates for the next Reykjavik Arts Festival are out in the air. We kick off on May 12 and close with style on June 5. The programme is in full preparation but will not be made official until March. Sign up for our newsletter and we‘ll keep you updated.

The Spanish‐Icelandic artist duo Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson have been chosen to exhibit on Iceland's behalf at the 54th International Art Exhibition ‐ La Biennale di Venezia 2011.

Reykjavík Arts Festival celebrates its 40 anniversary in 2010. From the very first festival in 1970, it has always stayed true to its original goal of offering the best of the Icelandic and international art scene. Here you can take a look at old festival posters and download booklets from previous festivals.

Singer/songwriter Lhasa de Sela has passed away at the age of 37, succumbed to breast cancer. She moved us deeply with her performances at the Reykjavík Arts Festival last May, which sadly were to be her last, as she was forced to cancel a long international tour scheduled for autumn 2009.

The Festival team is very grateful for the opportunity to get to know her during her visit to Iceland. According to Sela's manager she was happy to have come as she always wanted to perform in Iceland.  The Festival team offers its deepest sympathies to Sela´s family and friends. Her music continues to be an integral part of our lives.

The official Press Release can be downloaded here.