Hallgrímskirkja hosts anniversary week from 18 to 25 October
Published on 10/21/2026 at 15:08 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSAnniversary programme and access
- The parish programme runs from 18 to 25 October 2026 at Hallgrímskirkja.
- A festive service, two art exhibitions and a choir concert are scheduled for 25 October 2026.
- Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran parish church and Iceland's largest church in Reykjavik.
Hallgrímskirkja hosts a 40th anniversary programme in Reykjavik from 18 to 25 October 2026, marking four decades since the church was consecrated. The week combines worship, music, a lecture and two art exhibitions at the Lutheran parish church.
Anniversary week brings worship and music
The anniversary programme opens on 18 October with a family service. On 21 October, the church schedules a morning service and Hallgrímsmessa, an evening mass with music by Cantores Islandiae and the AMICI Chamber Choir under the direction of Arnar Magnússon and Ágúst Ingi Ágústsson.
On 22 October, the programme includes a reflective service, an architecture lecture by Andrés Narfi Andrésson and Evening Church, described by the organiser as an evening of music and contemplation. The anniversary week reaches its main programme day on 25 October with a festive service at 11am, followed by two exhibition openings and the 5pm release concert for the choir album In caelo et in terra. The anniversary programme lists the performers and events.
Hallgrímskirkja links the anniversary to its arts life
The 25 October service marks 40 years since the consecration of Hallgrímskirkja. The choir concert adds a contemporary music strand, presenting the first full-length album by the Choir of Hallgrímskirkja and connecting the anniversary to the church’s current musical work.
The two exhibitions provide a visual counterpart. Hallgrímskirkja in Colour presents work by Ingi Hrafn Stefánsson, while Hallgrímskirkjurefill is an illustrated history of the church by Halldór Baldursson. The operator describes Hallgrímskirkja as a Lutheran parish church in the centre of Reykjavik and the largest church in Iceland. The published autumn programme places the exhibitions within the wider cultural role of the building.
Visiting Hallgrímskirkja: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The anniversary programme runs at Hallgrímskirkja from 18 to 25 October 2026, with the principal service, exhibition openings and choir concert on 25 October 2026.
- Access is available to the public for the anniversary events, and the organiser states that the anniversary-week events are free while space allows. The 25 October service and concert may affect access to the church during those events.
- The venue is Hallgrímstorgi 1, 101 Reykjavik, in Iceland. The church is in central Reykjavik and is the address given by the operator for the programme.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Hallgrímskirkja on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Hallgrímskirkja
When does the anniversary programme take place at Hallgrímskirkja?
The programme runs from 18 to 25 October 2026, with the main anniversary events on 25 October 2026.
What is Hallgrímskirkja?
It is a Lutheran parish church in Reykjavik and the largest church in Iceland.
Where is Hallgrímskirkja and how do you get there?
Hallgrímskirkja is at Hallgrímstorgi 1, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.
