If you want to do something different in between sightseeing during your stay in Iceland, there are quite a few festivals and events to choose from. The following is our shortlist of interesting events you won't regret attending.

Secret Solstice

A yearly music festival held in Laugardalur in Reykjavík around the summer solstice. Previous years have included artists like The Prodigy, Foo Fighters, Patti Smith, Die Antwoord, Radiohead and Chaka Khan. Tickets to side-events which include sightseeing are also available.

Viking Festival

The Viking Festival dates back to 1995 and is held in the second week of June, coinciding with Iceland‘s Independence day on June 17th. The emphasis is on authenticity and guests get the feeling they just walked into a market filled with merchant Vikings coming from afar, which is all any of us really want, isn't it?

Eistnaflug

This metal festival has taken place every year in Neskaupsstaður in East Iceland since 2005. The festival is held entirely indoors on the second weekend in July. The inhabitants of Neskaupsstaður are about 1400 but during this one weekend, the number of people in town doubles. The festival consists of about 30-40 Icelandic and international bands and the atmosphere is indeed electric, but in the best possible way. The festival's tagline is "Don't be an asshole."

Reykjavik Jazz Festival

The jazz festival strives to present only the best jazz musicians in Iceland. The festival is held during the second weekend in August. The Reykjavik Pride Festival and The Great Fish Day in Dalvík land on the same weekend, but unless you decide to go to Dalvík in North Iceland, you should be able to enjoy both the Pride and the Jazz during one amazing weekend.

The Festival of the Sea

One of Iceland's biggest industries is fishery and since 1938, Icelanders have celebrated the Seaman's Day on the first Saturday of June. In Reykjavík, the whole weekend is now a family festival in Grandagarður (West Harbour) which starts early on Saturday morning and lasts until Sunday afternoon.

The European Championship in Swamp Soccer

Every year the European Championship in Swamp Soccer is held in Ísafjörður during the first weekend of August. Verslunarmannahelgin or Labour Day Weekend is one of the biggest travel weekends of the year for Icelanders, and many music and family festivals are held all over the country. Swamp soccer is, as the name would suggest, a filthy sport. Ducktape your shoes to your feet, so they don't get stuck in the mud. The rules are also a bit different than in regular football. There are six players on each team; all throws from the sideline and corners, are kicked. There's also the pink card (if you hurt someone, accidentally or not, you must kiss the booboo) and the black card (for severe fouls, offenders must play with a black head-bag for two minutes).

Tweed Ride Reykjavík

The first Tweed Run was held in London, 24 January 2009, organised by London Fixed Gear and Single Speed, an online cycling forum. Since then the event has been held in many cities around the world. The first Tweed Ride in Iceland was held on 16 June 2012 and has taken place annually ever since. This is, obviously, one of the classiest sporting events of the year.

Arctic open

In a land where the sun hardly sets during summer, why not play golf at midnight? The Arctic Open Gold Championship is hosted by Akureyri Gold Club in North Iceland. It is an international event with golfers attending from all over the world. The biggest tournament included 120 participants.

Reykjavík Marathon

The Reykjavík Marathon is held on Reykjavík‘s Culture Night every year. The marathon itself is run on flat, well-paved roads. Typically about 1000 people run the marathon and 2000 the half marathon, which makes both races less crowded than in many other places. The marathon is also a family event since you can also run 10 kilometres, the 3 kilometres fun run or children‘s run distances.

The Golden Circle Challenge

This cycling competition is held every year in Iceland. Three routes suit both professionals and beginners, and all routes start and end at Lake Laugarvatn. The Golden Circle is one of the most famous sightseeing routes in Iceland and includes Þingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss waterfall. The three routes are bronze, silver and gold and vary in length from 48 km to 106 km.