The first weekend in June is traditionally a day of celebration of Iceland’s seafarers – although celebrations have been curtailed recently thanks to the pandemic – but this year’s event went ahead in Reykjavík last weekend, attended by thousands of visitors.
Although Seamen’s Day celebrations take place in ports and harbours all around Iceland, Reykjavík’s Grandi port area hosts the largest set of events with a Festival of the Sea that spans a full weekend, this year building on the experience of last year when the first post-Covid event was held.
The event in Reykjavik began on Sunday with the service in the Fossvogur church in the morning, followed by a parade to the Grandi dock where a full programme had been organised, including live music, a tug-of-war, an opportunity to take a trip on a CoastGuard vessel, climbing and strength competitions, and much more.
Long-serving seamen were honoured at an event in the Harpa conference centre, followed by a speech by the Minister of Fisheries.
The Seamen’s Day events in Reykjavík were organised, as usual, by Associated Icelandic Ports, Brim and the Seamen’s Day committee, a charity which runs a number old people’s homes around the capital region for elderly seamen and the relatives.
