How many to attend: I advise
two to three festivals on one trip. Iceland’s distances, weather delays and prices make a fourth feel like a chore, and with fewer events you can still see waterfalls, hot springs and black-sand beaches between them. Two lets you pair one big, social city weekend with one small-town gathering; a third only makes sense if it falls close to the others.
Choosing by travel style: If you want nightlife, music and people to meet in hostels, prioritize the
Reykjavik events: dense schedules, late sets under midnight light in summer, easy transport on foot. If you crave atmosphere and landscape, choose a
village or fjord event in the Westfjords, North or East. These have fewer than a few thousand attendees, communal meals, and the feel of a family gathering with a stage. …
read more 👉 How many to attend: I advise
two to three festivals on one trip. Iceland’s distances, weather delays and prices make a fourth feel like a chore, and with fewer events you can still see waterfalls, hot springs and black-sand beaches between them. Two lets you pair one big, social city weekend with one small-town gathering; a third only makes sense if it falls close to the others.
Choosing by travel style: If you want nightlife, music and people to meet in hostels, prioritize the
Reykjavik events: dense schedules, late sets under midnight light in summer, easy transport on foot. If you crave atmosphere and landscape, choose a
village or fjord event in the Westfjords, North or East. These have fewer than a few thousand attendees, communal meals, and the feel of a family gathering with a stage. Culture-focused travelers should look to
winter indoor events, where you get warmth, candlelight and lower accommodation costs but short daylight and slippery roads.
What it costs: Budget
US$110 to 180 a day as a backpacker on festival days: a dorm bed at US$40 to 75, groceries and bakery meals at US$20 to 35 (a hot dog from a stand is around US$5 to 7), plus transport. Entry per visit varies widely. Many town events are
free, while ticketed concerts or multi-day passes run roughly 5,000 to 25,000 ISK (US$36 to 180). Add a bus fare of 3,000 to 9,000 ISK (US$22 to 65) for longer regional hops, or a rental car at about US$60 to 120 a day plus fuel. Campsites run 2,000 to 3,500 ISK (US$15 to 25) a person, the cheapest bed if you carry a tent rated for strong wind. Alcohol is heavily taxed, so many locals pre-drink; buy from the state-run Vinbudin stores, since bars are costly and shops sell only low-alcohol beer.
Safety and culture: Iceland is very safe, with low crime, but
weather is the main risk. Wind can flatten tents, wet clothing chills fast even in July, and mountain roads can close with little notice, so check road.is and vedur.is daily. Drive only on marked roads: off-road driving is illegal and heavily fined. Tap water is clean, and drinking from it saves you around US$4 per bottle. Culturally,
quiet hours matter in small towns: respect neighbors, keep noise down near campsites and shower before entering geothermal pools, a rule enforced firmly. Locals tend to be low-key, so cheering politely is fine, but pushing to the front or leaving trash behind will be noticed. Book beds and rental cars early for any event weekend, because rural places can have fewer than 20 rooms in the whole village.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.