The Great Fish Day
Fiskidagurinn mikli (which translates into English as ‘the great fish day’) is the town festival of Dalvík, one of the biggest town festivals in Iceland. It is held on the second weekend in August and is attended by Icelanders from all over the country. Festival-goers are almost all Icelandic as this festival is not well known to foreigners visiting Iceland. But it is well worth the trip.
Fish is important to Icelanders. Fishing and related trades are Iceland’s biggest industries and most of the small towns spread around the coast of the island were built up around fishing. Dalvík is one of these towns, so although it may seem strange to have a town festival with a fish theme, it really isn’t. Fish is just that important.
The festival is in many ways all about hospitality. Most events and entertainment is free of charge, even some of the food. Many locals open the doors to their homes and invite in all those who want to stop by and have a bowl of fish soup. In the town centre, a huge barbecue is set up and many types of fish cooked in various ways (traditional and not) to show the bounty of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Music is just as much part of this festival as food. A stage is put up in the centre of the town and performing over the weekend are some lesser known local musicians as well as some of the biggest names in Icelandic music. The main concert of the festival is held on the Saturday evening and it is one of the biggest and grandest outdoor concerts in Iceland. It is so popular that many that live in the north, even if not attending the festival, drive to Dalvík just for the concert and the firework display that takes place just after it.
There are all sorts of entertainment at Dalvík over the weekend. At the harbour, there is a fish exhibition, there are cruises on the fjords from the harbour, art shows, theatre, markets and more.
Fiskidagurinn mikli is one of the liveliest town festivals in Iceland and is without a doubt something to check out if travelling in the north of Iceland right now. If not, there is always next year!
