Þjóðhátíð
| Location(s) | Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1874–present |
| Date(s) | The weekend before the first Monday in August |
| Website | dalurinn.is |
Þjóðhátíð /θjɒðˈhaʊtiːð/(English: National Festival) is an annual outdoor festival held in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, on the weekend before the first Monday in August. Locals and guests gather in Herjólfsdalur valley on the island of Heimaey, for four days of various events, most prominently big stage concerts, bonfires, fireworks shows and the festival's signature Sunday night crowd singing, led by member of Althing and Vestmannaeyjar local Árni Johnsen. The crowd singing is the single event of the weekend which draws the most attendees. In 2010, an attendance record was set at between sixteen and seventeen thousand on the Sunday night.
Þjóðhátíð was first held in 1874 when islanders were hindered by bad weather from attending one-thousand-year anniversary celebration of Icelandic settlement on the Icelandic mainland. The festival has grown to become the largest multiday festival in Iceland, and one of the largest annual cultural events in the country.[citation needed] As such, Þjóðhátíð is highly publicized in the Icelandic media.