Bonfires Before Midnight: Where Reykjavik Gathers
By late afternoon on 31 December, the smell of woodsmoke starts drifting across the city. Neighbourhood associations build brennur — large bonfires of Christmas trees, old furniture and wooden pallets — and they are free to attend, with no tickets and no queues. These are the warm-up acts for the night, and the gathering points where locals meet before the sky opens up.
- Laugardalur (by Laugardalslaug) — one of the largest and most accessible, close to public transport, typically lit around 20:30.
- Ægissíða, near the domestic airport — a family bonfire on the waterfront with views toward Seltjarnarnes.
- Geirsnef, Seltjarnarnes — at the tip of the peninsula, open sea behind it, noticeably less crowded.
- Hafnarfjörður — the neighbouring town runs its own independent bonfire and fireworks tradition, about a 15-minute drive away.
Confirmed lighting times shift slightly from year to year, so check local news (visir.is, ruv.is) in the days before you go. The Laugardalur Sports Complex is the main outdoor gathering spot ahead of midnight — family-friendly, with food vendors and no entry fee.
Fireworks You Watch From Inside the City, Not From a Grandstand
There is no official civic fireworks show. Instead, residents legally buy and set off their own from rooftops, hillsides and gardens, roughly from 23:00 to past 01:00, peaking at midnight. The result is a 360-degree event with no single focal point — you turn in circles rather than face one direction. Choose your vantage point accordingly.
- Hallgrímskirkja churchyard — a high point with clear sightlines; it fills up by 23:30.
- Perlan observation deck — heated, elevated, 360 degrees; an entry fee applies (typically around 3,990 ISK as of 2026), so check NYE opening hours.
- Öskjuhlíð hill, below Perlan — the free alternative, with wooded clearings to stand in.
- Old Harbour (Grandi) — open sky and reflections on the water; food stalls appear on NYE most years.
- Tjörnin pond — the city-centre lake catches the fireworks twice over, and bars and restaurants are steps away.
Fireworks are launched in residential streets, so keep clear of buildings and parked cars near midnight. If you want photographs, bring a tripod and a wide-angle lens and claim an elevated spot early. Note that the light pollution between 23:30 and 01:30 makes aurora viewing hopeless — if the skies clear, aurora hunting becomes viable again after 02:00 on 1 January.
Concerts, Bars and the Long Icelandic Night
Before the sky takes over, the city's venues do. Aldrei fór ég dauður is the NYE concert series at Harpa Concert Hall across 30–31 December; programming varies by year and past editions have ranged from Icelandic orchestral to jazz and pop. Tickets typically run 4,500–9,500 ISK and are booked through tix.is — popular shows sell out before December, so months ahead is not too early.
Downtown, the Laugavegur and Austurstræti strips stay open until 04:30–05:00. Cover charges typically land between 2,000 and 4,500 ISK after midnight, and venues such as Paloma, Húrra and Bravó run NYE programming. Arrive before 22:00 if you want to avoid the queues.
What to Eat, and How to Book It
Most restaurants run set NYE menus at 15,000–30,000 ISK per person (roughly £85–£175 as of 2026), excluding drinks. Reservations open in September–October and sell out before December, so this is the part of the trip you plan first.
- Grillmarkadurinn, Lækjargata 2a — around 22,000–26,000 ISK.
- Matur og drykkur, Grandagarður 2 — around 20,000–24,000 ISK.
- Kopar, Geirsgata 3 — around 18,000–22,000 ISK.
- Snaps Bistro, Þórsgata 1 — around 12,000–16,000 ISK.
If you have left it late, some Laugavegur pizza and burger places run no set menu and stay affordable, and Reykjavík Roasters café keeps regular hours on 31 December. On 1 January, pharmacies in Reykjavik are closed.
Getting Around, Staying Warm, and Where to Sleep
Strætó buses run a modified NYE schedule and are free to ride on New Year's Eve — an annual tradition. Services run later than usual but not all night, so check the Strætó app. Taxis (Hreyfill, +354 588 5522; BSR, +354 561 0000) mean long waits and surge pricing after midnight, so book your return in advance. Walking is practical in the compact 101 area, though pavements can be icy. Avoid driving in central Reykjavik between 23:00 and 02:00; if you are coming in from outside, park near a bus stop and take the free bus.
Expect 31 December temperatures of -2 to 3°C, with wind chill often -8 to -12°C. Thermal base layers, a fleece mid-layer, a waterproof and windproof outer jacket, waterproof trousers or thermal leggings, a wool or fleece hat, waterproof gloves or mittens, merino or thermal socks, waterproof boots with grip, and hand warmers are the difference between a memorable night and a short one. Consumer fireworks are legal in Iceland and sold across the city from mid-December; much of the revenue goes to ICE-SAR, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue. The emergency number is 112.
Accommodation books out six to nine months in advance, with NYE rates running 50–80% above normal December rates. For reference: Fosshotel Reykjavik from around 55,000–75,000 ISK, Hotel Borg from around 70,000 ISK, Hótel Holt around 45,000–60,000 ISK, and CenterHotel Þingholt around 40,000–55,000 ISK. Airbnb apartments in the 101 postcode also go early.
The pieces that need booking — a table, a concert ticket, a room — are the pieces that disappear first, often before December arrives. Decide where you want to be standing at midnight, whether that is the churchyard, the harbour or a hillside above the city, and work backwards from there. The bonfires are free, the buses are free, and the sky does the rest.