ICELAND'S ECLIPSE FESTIVAL: CELEBRATING THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 2026

words NATALIE GAL

Starting next year, on August 12 until August 15 in Snæfellsnes, Iceland, a special festival is taking place — one that is cosmic, spiritual, and speaks of something ancient.

On August 12 2026, a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse will cast Iceland into shadow. This hasn’t been seen in the country since 1954 and won’t happen again until 2196. For more than two minutes, over the town of Hellissandur, the midsummer Sun will vanish completely. These events always make you feel small, part of something greater, a reminder that you are just a blip in time, and that greater cosmic forces surround us beyond the LED lights in your office or the occasional moonlight on a late-night stroll through the city.

This festival is about doing something humans have done since the beginning of time: witnessing something cosmic and beautiful, catching a glimpse of a world we will never truly understand — and celebrating it through dancing, gathering, and transcending together.

As the skies return to light, the festival’s curated program will begin, featuring both Icelandic and international talent. There will also be special events such as large-scale installations, thought-provoking talks, cosmic rituals, and, of course, live electronic music. It’s also a chance to get to know this faraway land, whether through tent and glamping passes or private stays in Hellissandur’s beautiful rentals. Visitors can explore lava tunnels, walk on glaciers, and bathe in geothermal springs.

Get ready, more information will follow soon — for more details refer to the festival’s official website.