What's on in Akureyri, Iceland through the year

Busy — Christmas break in Iceland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Christmas market and New Year fire (1 Dec – 1 Jan), Hlidarfjall ski season (15 Dec – 25 Apr (usually))

Busy — Spring winter break in Iceland, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Hlidarfjall ski season (15 Dec – 25 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Iceland Winter Games, Easter break in Iceland

• Festival

  Iceland Winter Games

  15 Mar – 1 Apr · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  Freeski and snowboard competitions on Hlidarfjall in the second half of March, when the days are long enough to ride all day and the town fills with the circuit. Source ↗

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Hlidarfjall ski season (15 Dec – 25 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Iceland Winter Games, Easter break in Iceland

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Iceland Winter Games (15 Mar – 1 Apr (usually)), Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Hlidarfjall ski season (15 Dec – 25 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Whales in Eyjafjordur

  1 May – 30 Sep · usuallyWhale season

  Humpbacks work the length of the fjord through the summer and the boats leave from the town quay rather than a separate harbour. Sailings stop for wind, not for cold.

Busy — Summer holidays in Iceland, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Listasumar arts summer

  15 Jun – 25 Aug · usuallyMajor festival

  The town's galleries, churches and the botanical garden run a rolling programme of concerts and shows through the summer rather than one weekend of it. Source ↗

• Festival

  Arctic Open golf

  20 Jun – 2 Jul · usuallyMajor festivalBook early

  Golf played through the small hours around the solstice at Jadarsvollur, tee times running past midnight. Entry is open to anyone with a handicap and it sells out well ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Whales in Eyjafjordur (1 May – 30 Sep (usually))

Busy — Summer holidays in Iceland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Whales in Eyjafjordur (1 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Listasumar arts summer (15 Jun – 25 Aug (usually)), Arctic Open golf (20 Jun – 2 Jul (usually))

Peak crowds — Akureyrarvaka, Summer holidays in Iceland

• Festival

  Akureyrarvaka

  24–31 Aug · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  The town's birthday weekend, closest to 29 August: street concerts, guided walks through the old timber houses and everything in the botanical garden open late. Source ↗

Still on: Whales in Eyjafjordur (1 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Listasumar arts summer (15 Jun – 25 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Aurora season

  1 Sep – 10 Apr · usually

  Dark enough from early September to April, and the fjord walls block the town's own light better than most places. Cloud, not the lights, is what decides the night.

Still on: Whales in Eyjafjordur (1 May – 30 Sep (usually))

Busy — Autumn winter break in Iceland, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))

Busy — Christmas break in Iceland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Christmas market and New Year fire

  1 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New Year

  Stalls on Radhustorg through Advent, then a bonfire on New Year's Eve before the private fireworks start. Rooms are cheap and half the shops keep short hours. Source ↗

• Season

  Hlidarfjall ski season

  15 Dec – 25 Apr · usually

  The country's main ski hill sits ten minutes above the town, so you stay in Akureyri and take the bus up. Lifts usually run from around Christmas to late April, and the light in March is the reason to go then. Source ↗

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))