Harpa Concert Hall

Harpa is Reykjavik's concert hall and conference centre, standing on the edge of the old harbour at Austurbakki. It was designed by Henning Larsen Architects with the Icelandic firm Batteríið, and its facade was created with the artist Olafur Eliasson: a steel frame filled with geometric glass panels that catch the changing light over the bay and are lit by LEDs after dark. The building opened in May 2011, having been completed despite the financial crash that halted so many projects in Iceland, and in 2013 it won the European Union's Mies van der Rohe Award for contemporary architecture.

The building is open daily, from 10:00 to 18:00 on Sundays to Tuesdays and until 20:00 from Wednesday to Saturday, with longer hours on event nights. Walking up the stairs through the glass shell, with views of the harbour and Mount Esja across the water, is one of the best free things to do in the city. Inside are four main halls: Eldborg, the main concert hall, Silfurberg, Norðurljós and the smaller Kaldalón. Harpa is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and, from 2026, to the Icelandic National Opera, and it also hosts jazz, pop, comedy and conferences, including the annual Arctic Circle assembly.

Harpa also runs visitor attractions in the building, including The World of Icelandic Music and The Volcano Express, and offers a free family programme. For food there is La Primavera Ristorante on the fourth floor, with views over the harbour, and Hnoss Bistro, known for its weekend brunch, while the Rammagerðin shop sells Icelandic design and crafts.

The building suits almost everyone: architecture fans, music lovers, families looking for a warm indoor stop and photographers, who come for the reflections and the colours of the glass. Evening visits are worth it in the darker months, when the facade lights up. If you want to see a performance, check the Harpa calendar and book ahead for Iceland Symphony Orchestra concerts and popular shows, which can sell out.

Harpa is a few minutes on foot from the main shopping streets and from Lækjartorg. The Sun Voyager sculpture is a short walk east along the seafront path, and the Old Harbour, with its whale-watching boats and restaurants, lies just to the west. Allow half an hour for a look around the foyers, longer if you plan to eat or see an exhibition.