Winter Lights Festival in Reykjavik 2025, Iceland

The Winter Lights Festival 2025, scheduled to take place from February 6 to 9, promises a dazzling celebration of light and darkness in Reykjavík and the surrounding municipalities. This annual event aims to brighten the long Icelandic winter nights with mesmerizing light art installations, cultural events, and communal activities, offering a unique experience for both locals and visitors.

Highlights and Activities

The program of the Winter Lights Festival is a mixture of entertainment and art. It's also an educational experience that incorporates industry, environment, history, and sports. Major museums and thermal pools of Reykjavík, as well as the Reykjavík Ski Resort, participate in the festival with their own fun events. However, the main highlights of the festival are beautiful light installations that brighten the night in the city.

Light Trail

The Winter Lights Walking Path is a special attraction of the festival that features six light installations in the city center: Hallgrímskirkja - Passage eftir Nocturnal, Tiny Massive - Harpa Concert Hall, Museum of the Moon - Harpa Concert Hall, Second Litany - Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús, ALDA - Reykjavík City Hall and De-LuX - National Gallery of Iceland. The light trail operates daily from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

Museum Night

One of the most popular events of the Winter Lights Festival include Museum Night, when museums across the city open their doors and entertain visitors with dance and theater performances, lectures, live music, films, and readings. Museums welcome visitors from 6 pm to 11 pm.

Pool Night

No less popular is Pool Night, which takes place at the city's exceptional thermal pools. Fun activities, music, and pool illuminations make this experience especially memorable. The swimming pools are open to the public from 5 pm to 10 pm.

Ticket prices

You might be curious about the cost of all these amazing experiences. Here's the best part: every event at the festival is free!

Location and Surrounding Attractions

The Winter Lights Festival spans six municipalities in the capital area, with most events concentrated in central Reykjavík. The city’s compact layout makes it easy to navigate on foot. For those interested in exploring further, nearby attractions include the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon, and various northern light tours. These destinations provide additional opportunities to experience Iceland’s natural wonders.

History

First held in 2002, the Winter Lights Festival was established to bring warmth and light to Iceland’s darkest months. The festival’s commitment to fostering creativity is evident in its open competition for light art proposals, which invites artists from various disciplines to contribute innovative ideas.