Iceland's midnight sun festival: three days of music in a city where the sun never sets in June, with stages running through the night under a sky that stays bright.
Secret Solstice has run in Reykjavik since 2014, timed specifically around the summer solstice when Iceland experiences its midnight sun: the sun does not set between late May and late July, dipping to its lowest point on the horizon around 1am but never disappearing below it. The festival stages run through the night against a lit sky, which is a genuinely unusual experience with no parallel at any other major European festival. The main site is Laugardalur Park in eastern Reykjavik, walkable from the city centre. Capacity across the weekend is approximately 20,000–25,000.
The lineup combines Icelandic acts (Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, and emerging domestic artists have all performed) with international bookings across indie, electronic, hip-hop, and rock. A signature Secret Solstice feature is the exclusive side events: a concert inside the Langjökull glacier (limited tickets at significant cost) and a geothermal pool party at a private hot spring facility. These optional extras are premium priced but heavily subscribed. The base festival pass without extras provides full access to all main site stages. Iceland in June is cold by most travellers' expectations: temperatures of 10–14°C with wind and occasional rain are standard.
Party hostels within reach of 's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
The festival traditionally opens on Thursday evening and the first experience of watching live music at midnight under a bright sky disorients most visitors in the best possible way. The crowd tends to be surprised by how active and clear the sky remains at 1am. Dress fully for cold: the evening temperatures with wind chill can feel significantly below the air temperature.
Saturday runs all stages from noon to beyond midnight. Headline acts tend to stack on Saturday evening. The park fills to capacity by late afternoon. Reykjavik city centre is a 20-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride: use the city's cafes and restaurants for daytime meals before heading back for the evening programme.
Sunday typically closes at 11pm. After the festival, the bars on Laugavegur (Reykjavik's main street) stay open until 4–5am on summer weekends. Kaffibarinn and Kiki Queer Bar are long-established Laugavegur institutions. Prikið on Bankastræti opens at 3pm daily and transitions to a late-night club on weekends.
The Golden Circle day trip (Þingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss waterfall) is 300km round from Reykjavik and takes a full day. Rental cars are available at the Flybus terminal and cost ISK 10,000–15,000 (£55–82) for a compact vehicle. Alternatively, the Reykjanes Peninsula hot springs are 45 minutes from the city; the Blue Lagoon (Sky Lagoon is the more authentic alternative nearby) is bookable in advance.
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
