Vaka Festival - Feast and Dance

Imagine a 3-day folk arts festival with music, dance, workshops, and a feast, and you’d have the 2024 Vaka Folk Festival.

Vaka interweaves age-old folk traditions and contemporary practices, introducing festival-goers to Icelandic song, dance and music.  What’s more, you’re encouraged to participate in workshops and festivities over the course of the weekend. If you’ve ever wanted to find out about and try playing the langspil — one of Iceland’s folk instruments — sing Icelandic rímur ballads, or have a go at European bal dance, this festival is the one for you.
 
Vaka opens on Friday afternoon with ‘Barna og unglinga rímna tónleikar’ (Kids’ rímur concert), a concert by children in the Ráðhús (City Hall). Then at 19.30, there’s an evening concert in Fríkirkjan with some of Iceland’s most prominent folk musicians. After the concert, the celebrations will continue with an all comers session at Ægir Bar, the home of Reykjavík Trad Sessions and the monthly Sagnavaka ballad dance sessions.
 
Saturday daytime features workshop in Icelandic traditional singing, European folk dancing and playing Icelandic langspil. Saturday evening features the festival’s centerpiece event, a feast and dance with pop-up party piece performances, at Iðnó, Reykjavík’s oldest performance venue, by the the lake. 
 
Sunday’s programme has two events, marking the annual day of rímur songs. A seminar with presentations in Icelandic by experts in the field, followed by a concert of brand new rímur.
 
An all-inclusive festival pass costs 11.900 ISK and we have tickets for individual events online and at the door.
 
We offer a 20% discount for senior citizens, students, and people with disabilities. 
 
Vaka is a volunteer-run organisation and relies on festival-goers for funding.  As such, we’ve set the minimum ticket prices you see listed above, but you may also select to pay any amount above that minimum.  If you are able to give more than the listed ticket price, we would be very grateful for your support. 
 
For more details, take a look at our webpage and don’t hesitate to get in touch.