Hallgrímskirkja hosts anniversary week from 18 to 25 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 01:40 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- A 40th-anniversary programme at Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavik runs from 18 to 25 October 2026.
- A festive service and two exhibitions are scheduled at Hallgrímskirkja on 25 October 2026.
- The church choir will perform In caelo et in terra at Hallgrímskirkja on 25 October 2026 at 5pm.
- Hallgrímskirkja was consecrated on 26 October 1986 and has a 73 m tower.
A 40th-anniversary week at Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavik will run from 18 to 25 October 2026, combining worship, lectures, exhibitions and music. The programme marks the fortieth anniversary of the church’s consecration on 26 October 1986.
Hallgrímskirkja anniversary week runs from 18 to 25 October
The church’s operator has announced a special programme for the anniversary week. A family service is scheduled for 18 October, while an anniversary lecture by architect Andrés Narfi Andrésson will take place on 22 October at 5pm. The lecture will examine the building’s origins, architecture and place in Reykjavik’s urban landscape, and will be held in Icelandic.
The central day is 25 October 2026. A festive service is planned for 11am, followed by the opening of two exhibitions. Hallgrímskirkja in Colour is by Ingi Hrafn Stefánsson, while Hallgrímskirkjurefill is an illustrated history of the church by Halldór Baldursson. The operator’s autumn programme for 2026 places both openings after the service on 25 October.
Forty years connect the programme with the church’s history
The anniversary falls one day before the exact fortieth anniversary of the consecration. Construction began in 1945, and the church was consecrated on 26 October 1986. The building was designed by State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson, who began the design in 1937.
The church stands on Skólavörðuholt near central Reykjavik and has a 73 m (239 ft) tower. Its operator describes the tower as the tallest building in the capital, while the building’s form recalls Icelandic columnar rocks, mountains and glaciers. These fixed features give the anniversary programme a direct setting: the lectures address the architecture, and the exhibitions interpret the building and its history. Further background appears in the church’s history overview.
Choir concert adds new Icelandic sacred music
The anniversary programme continues at 5pm on 25 October with In caelo et in terra, a concert by the Hallgrímskirkja church choir. The programme celebrates the choir’s first full-length album of new Icelandic sacred music, released by the church.
The concert links the anniversary to the building’s continuing musical life. The official programme lists sacred works by contemporary Icelandic composers, performed by the church choir with Steinar Logi Helgason conducting and Björn Steinar Sólbergsson on organ. The event page states that admission is free while space allows.
Visiting Hallgrímskirkja: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The anniversary programme runs from 18 to 25 October 2026, with the festive service and exhibition openings on 25 October.
- Access changes on 25 October: the operator’s schedule lists the church and tower as closed from approximately 10.30am to 1pm, with the festive service at 11am. The building is scheduled to reopen for visitors afterwards, with opening hours ending at 4pm.
- The church is at Hallgrímstorg 1 in central Reykjavik, on Skólavörðuholt. The tower and church form the main visitor setting for the anniversary events.
- The tower rises 73 m (239 ft), so the site combines an elevated viewpoint with a working church. Access can be restricted during services, ceremonies and concerts.
- Icelandic is the official language, and the national currency is the Icelandic krona.
- 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.
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Frequently asked questions about Hallgrímskirkja
When does the anniversary week take place at Hallgrímskirkja?
The anniversary week runs from 18 to 25 October 2026. It marks the fortieth anniversary of the church’s consecration on 26 October 1986.
What can visitors see at Hallgrímskirkja on 25 October 2026?
A festive service is scheduled for 11am, followed by two exhibition openings. A choir concert, In caelo et in terra, is scheduled for 5pm.
Where is Hallgrímskirkja and how do you get there?
Hallgrímskirkja is at Hallgrímstorg 1 on Skólavörðuholt in central Reykjavik. The church stands on one of the highest natural points in the city centre.
