New Year's Eve is the biggest night of the year in Iceland. Families eat together, gather at neighbourhood bonfires, go home for a comedy show at 22:30, then fill the streets for a huge, unofficial fireworks display at midnight. Visitors are welcome at all of it, but buses stop mid-afternoon and many places close early, so plan the day ahead.
Weather and daylight on 31 December
Late December in Reykjavík averages a high of about 3°C and a low of about −2°C. It can be dry and still, or wet and windy, and snow on the ground is common but never certain. The north is usually colder than the capital. Early January is much the same, around −1°C on average, and a cold snap can bring −10°C. Bring warm layers, a windproof jacket, a hat, gloves and shoes with grip, because you will be standing outside for a long time at the bonfire and again at midnight.
Daylight is short. On 31 December the sun rises in Reykjavík at about 11:20 and sets at about 15:40, a little over four hours of daylight. That leaves a long, dark evening, which is perfect for fireworks and gives you a chance of seeing the Northern Lights if the sky is clear. See our Iceland in December and daylight hours guides.
How Icelanders spend the evening
The evening follows a fairly fixed pattern, and it helps to know it before you go out.
Family and friends are part of every step. The night is not synchronised or stage-managed, and that is the charm of it: every household puts on its own small show, and together they make one very large one.
- About 18:00: family dinner at home. The streets go quiet and most restaurants that stay open are fully booked.
- 20:30: neighbourhood bonfires (áramótabrennur) are lit.
- 22:30: almost everyone goes indoors to watch Áramótaskaupið, the year-end comedy show.
- About 23:30: the show ends and people head outside with fireworks and bubbly.
- Midnight: the sky over every town fills with fireworks for a good half hour or more.
- After midnight: house parties, then bars and clubs that stay open until the early morning.
The New Year's Eve bonfires
Bonfires are an old Icelandic tradition for burning away the old year. They are free and open to everyone, and they are a friendly place to meet locals. Most last around an hour, and people are home again well before 22:30. Wherever you spend the night in Iceland, in the city or in a village, there will be a bonfire not far away.
For New Year's Eve 2025, Reykjavík City held ten bonfires, all lit at 20:30 except Skerjafjörður at 21:00. They were at Ægisíða, Skerjafjörður (opposite Skildinganes), Suðurhlíðar below Fossvogur Cemetery, Laugardalur, Geirsnef, Stekkjarbakki, Rauðavatn, Gufunes, Kléberg in Kjalarnes and Úlfarsfell. Geirsnef and Gufunes were the large ones. Neighbouring towns such as Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Seltjarnarnes and Mosfellsbær hold their own.
Ægisíða, by the sea in the west of the city, is the closest to the centre and the easiest for visitors to walk to. The road is closed to cars, so walk. Setting off fireworks at bonfire sites is not allowed; only sparklers and flares are permitted.
It can be hard to choose with so many on the same evening, so pick one in advance and work out how to get there on foot. People stand around the fire, sing, chat and wish each other a happy new year. It is the best place of the night to talk to locals, and to ask them about the stories that go with the season.
Locations and times are confirmed by the city every December, so check the Reykjavík City website before you go.
Áramótaskaupið, the year-end comedy show
At 22:30 the country goes quiet. Nearly everyone is indoors watching Áramótaskaupið, or Skaupið for short, on the national broadcaster RÚV. It is a sketch show that pokes fun at the year's news, politicians, celebrities and trends. Nobody is spared. A viral craze, a new tourist trap, a minister's slip of the tongue: if it made the headlines, it will be in the show, and everyone understands that no offence is meant.
It began on radio in 1948 and moved to television in 1966. It is usually the most watched broadcast of the year; around 81% of the nation watched in 2023. The show is in Icelandic, but in recent years it has been shown with English subtitles on RÚV's second channel. Much of the humour relies on local news, so watch it with Icelanders if you can and ask them to explain.
Midnight fireworks
The fireworks are the main event. There is no single official display. Instead, thousands of people buy their own and set them off from gardens, streets and hilltops, so the whole city lights up at once. It starts building after Skaupið ends and peaks from midnight until about 00:30, with some carrying on much later.
Fireworks are sold from 28 December to 6 January, and almost all sales go through ICE-SAR (Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg), the volunteer search and rescue association. This is one of its most important sources of income, so buying from its sales points supports the teams who help travellers stuck in storms or on closed roads. The rescue teams also raise money by selling Christmas trees in December. Not every fireworks stand belongs to them, so look for the Landsbjörg name or a local team such as Flugbjörgunarsveitin in Reykjavík.
If you want to set off your own, follow the rules. Fireworks are only allowed from 28 December to 6 January, and not between 22:00 and 10:00 except on New Year's Eve. Buyers must be at least 12, 16 or 18 depending on the category. Wear the safety glasses sold with them, keep your distance, and do not use them after drinking. The air is often thick with smoke after midnight, so people with asthma may prefer to watch from indoors or from a distance.
There are two ways to enjoy the show. Find a high point and watch the whole city go off around you, or buy a few rockets and join in. Either way, it is not like the organised displays in other capitals. Icelanders are said to spend hundreds of millions of krónur on fireworks for this one night, and you can hear it.
Best places to watch the fireworks in Reykjavík
- Hallgrímskirkja: the busiest spot, on the hill in the centre with big crowds and fireworks all around you. Nearby streets are closed to traffic and it gets loud and smoky.
- Perlan: on Öskjuhlíð hill with wide views over the city. Perlan runs a ticketed New Year's Eve gala dinner; the 2026 event was listed at 85,900 ISK per person, with a four-course dinner and a midnight toast. Check Perlan's website for the current price.
- Harpa and the Sun Voyager: the seafront gives you a view back over the city, with fewer rockets overhead. For the view from the water, our New Year’s Eve Firework Cruise in Reykjavik leaves the Old Harbour at 23:00 and returns at about 00:30.
- Hills and higher streets in residential areas: quieter, with views of fireworks from many neighbourhoods at once.
- Any bonfire area such as Ægisíða: good if you want to stay out after the bonfire, though you will be further from the centre.
Getting around on New Year's Eve
Public buses stop early. On 31 December 2025, Strætó ran a Saturday timetable and the last trips of the day left at around 15:00. On 1 January buses run on a Sunday timetable. Expect a similar pattern each year and check Strætó's holiday schedule.
Taxis are in high demand after midnight and waits can be long. Staying in or near the city centre makes the evening much easier. If you have a rental car, park it before the evening and leave it; roads near Hallgrímskirkja are closed and the streets are full of people and fireworks.
Many shops, restaurants and attractions close early on 31 December and some stay closed on 1 January. Buy food and drinks during the day, and book any New Year's Eve dinner well in advance.
New Year's Eve dinner and the gala at Perlan
Dinner is the first fixed point of the evening. Icelanders eat at home with family, usually around 18:00 to 19:00, so few restaurants open and those that do sell set menus that book out weeks ahead. Reserve early, or shop during the day and cook where you are staying.
For a dressed-up night, Perlan, the glass dome on Öskjuhlíð hill, hosts a gala dinner that ends with a toast and the fireworks seen from above the city. It is a ticketed event and one of the more formal ways to spend the night. Most other parties have no dress code, though Icelanders like to dress up for New Year's Eve, with a warm coat on top.
Parties, bars and clubs
Most Icelanders go to house parties after midnight. If a local invites you, go. The bars and clubs in downtown Reykjavík fill up after about 01:00 and stay open late into the morning. Expect queues, cover charges at some places and crowded venues.
Akureyri in the north also has a lively New Year's Eve, with bonfires, fireworks and busy bars, on a smaller scale than the capital. Read our Akureyri guide.
Concerts and events around New Year
New Year's Eve itself is about family, bonfires and fireworks, so there are few organised events on the night. The days after are different. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra plays its yearly Vienna Concert in Harpa, with waltzes, polkas and operetta. In 2027 there are four performances from 7 to 9 January.
Bars and small venues in the centre put on their own New Year parties and shows. Programmes are usually announced in December, so check what is on once you arrive.
New Year's Eve outside Reykjavík
Smaller towns follow the same rhythm: dinner, a local bonfire, Skaupið, then fireworks. There are fewer fireworks and fewer bars, but you may get a clear dark sky and a better chance of Northern Lights at midnight. Villages often have a dance or a get-together at the community hall after midnight. Ask at your guesthouse; visitors are usually welcome.
A countryside cabin or hotel can be a peaceful way to see in the new year. Remember that winter driving can be difficult, roads can close in storms and it gets dark by mid-afternoon. Check road.is and the weather forecast at vedur.is before you travel, and arrive well before dark.
Folklore and the new year
In Icelandic folklore New Year's Eve is a night when the boundary between worlds is thin. Elves were said to move house that night, and people left candles burning so they could find their way. The bonfires themselves are a way of letting the old year go.
The old folk tales say more. On New Year's Eve cows were said to speak, seals to shed their skins and walk as people, and the dead to rise from their graves. Anyone brave enough to sit at a crossroads all night might meet the elves on their way to a new home and be offered gifts, as long as they did not answer. Nobody takes this too seriously now, but ask about it at the bonfire and you will hear a version of it.
The season does not end at midnight. On 6 January, Þrettándinn (Twelfth Night), the last Yule Lad heads back to the mountains and there are more bonfires and fireworks. In 2026 Reykjavík held its Twelfth Night bonfire at Gufunes. Read more in our guide to elves and trolls in Iceland.
A suggested plan for 31 December
- Morning: coffee and a pastry at a bakery, then a short day tour such as the Golden Circle. A Golden Circle Private Tour from Reykjavík lets you go at your own pace. Check that it returns well before evening.
- Early afternoon: buy food, drinks and any fireworks. Remember the last buses leave around 15:00.
- 18:00: dinner at your hotel, a booked restaurant or your apartment.
- 20:30: walk to a bonfire such as Ægisíða.
- 22:30: watch Skaupið, with subtitles if available.
- 23:30: head to Hallgrímskirkja, Perlan or the seafront for midnight.
- After midnight: a bar, a party or a warm bed.
Tours and what to book
In some years there are evening bonfire and fireworks coach tours from Reykjavík, which take care of transport on a night when buses do not run. Browse our Reykjavík tours to see what is available on your dates. The New Year’s Eve Firework Cruise in Reykjavik is the one to book for midnight itself; it has no hotel pick-up, so plan how you will get to the harbour.
In the days around New Year you can still do most winter trips, including Northern Lights tours, the Golden Circle, the South Coast and ice caves. Tours can be cancelled for weather, so leave some room in your plans. A Northern Lights Private Tour from Reykjavik on a clear night either side of New Year takes you away from the city lights and the fireworks smoke. For a longer winter trip, our 8 Day Iceland Northern Lights Tour Package runs from September to April. Also see our winter packing list and Iceland in January guide.
If you want some of the evening organised for you:
- New Year’s Eve Firework Cruise in Reykjavik: midnight on Faxaflói bay with a champagne toast and warm overalls, from the Old Harbour.
- Northern Lights Private Tour from Reykjavik: your own guide and vehicle on a clear night either side of New Year.
- Golden Circle Private Tour from Reykjavík: Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss on 31 December, at your own pace.
Questions people ask
What time do the New Year's Eve bonfires start in Reykjavík?
Usually at 20:30. In 2025 all ten city bonfires started at 20:30 except Skerjafjörður at 21:00. The city confirms locations every December.
When do the fireworks start on New Year's Eve in Iceland?
People set some off all evening, but the big wave starts after the comedy show ends at about 23:30 and peaks from midnight to about 00:30.
Can tourists buy fireworks in Iceland?
Yes. Fireworks are sold from 28 December to 6 January, mostly by ICE-SAR, the search and rescue association. There are age limits of 12, 16 or 18 depending on the type.
Do buses run on New Year's Eve in Reykjavík?
Only until mid-afternoon. In 2025 the last Strætó buses left at around 15:00 on 31 December. Plan to walk or take a taxi in the evening.
Can you see the Northern Lights on New Year's Eve?
It is possible if the sky is clear and there is aurora activity, but the smoke and city lights at midnight make it harder. Your best chance is away from town before the fireworks begin.
What should I wear on New Year's Eve in Iceland?
Warm layers, a windproof coat, a hat, gloves and shoes with grip. You will stand outside at the bonfire and again at midnight. Icelanders dress up for the evening, but most parties and bars have no dress code.
Are restaurants open on New Year's Eve in Reykjavík?
Some are, mostly with set menus, and they book out weeks ahead. Many places close early on 31 December and some stay closed on 1 January, so reserve well in advance.
