Visiting Harpa: free entry, summer tours of Eldborg and concert tickets

In this guide

💡 The Short Version: Harpa Concert Hall is completely free to enter and explore. The building is open Sunday to Tuesday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00. You can walk through its multi-level waterfront foyers, admire Ólafur Elíasson’s crystalline glass facade, and look out over Faxaflói bay without buying a ticket. The 1,800-seat main concert hall, Eldborg, is closed to casual wanderers; you can only see inside by buying a ticket to an evening concert or joining an official guided architectural tour, with dates and prices on Harpa’s site. Or book a tour: the Volcano Express entry ticket at Harpaad (from 3,900 ISK, 4.5 stars from 124 reviews) is a volcano experience inside the building, with shows every 15 minutes.

⚠️ The main auditoriums are locked to non-ticket holders. While the public foyers, gift shops, and cafes are fully open, doors to Eldborg, Silfurberg, Norðurljós, and Kaldalón remain locked outside of ticketed performances and official guided tours. Do not expect to wander into Eldborg on your own.

What is free vs what requires a ticket

The public spaces are open daily without an entry gate (harpa.is).

• Guided tours: scheduled tours start at 11:00 and/or 13:00, with dates on Harpa’s calendar. Groups can book a private tour.
• Box office: on the ground floor, open daily 10:00 to 18:00 and later on event nights.

Tours and activities at Harpa waterfront

Harpa sits between downtown and the Old Harbour, and these experiences start from or near it.

Volcano Express entry ticket at Harpa

From 3,900 ISK · 4.5 stars from 124 reviews · 15 minutes · cinema screening

Reykjavik: Volcano Express Entry Ticket at Harpaad: a volcano experience inside Harpa, with shows every 15 minutes.

Reykjavik City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus

From 6,400 ISK · 4.0 stars from 1,537 reviews · 24-hour pass · audio guide in 8 languages

Reykjavik: City Sightseeing Hop-on/Hop-off Bus Tourad: Stop 1 of the city loop sits on the harbourside driveway directly outside Harpa’s main doors. The double-decker bus connects Harpa to the Old Harbour, the Whales of Iceland museum, Perlan, Hallgrímskirkja, and Laugardalur thermal pool.

Reykjavik city walking tour with local guide

From 6,000 ISK · 4.8 stars from 623 reviews · 2.5 hours · small group walking tour

Reykjavik: City Walking Tour in a Small Group with a Local Guidead: incorporates Harpa’s controversial financial crisis origins, its transformation into a civic landmark, and the surrounding historic docks before continuing into the historic centre.

Independent visit vs guided architectural tour

Harpa across the water of the harbour. Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Architecture and the quasi-brick glass facade

Opened on 4 May 2011, Harpa is an engineering and artistic landmark. Designed by Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects and Icelandic practice Batteríið Architects, the building’s distinctive identity stems from its facade collaboration with Danish-Icelandic artist Ólafur Elíasson:

• The quasi-brick modules: The south facade consists of twelve-sided, three-dimensional geometric steel-and-glass blocks known mathematically as “quasi-bricks”. The modular shapes are derived from the crystallisation of cooling basalt lava, echoing the geological columns found across Iceland’s volcanic landscape.
• Natural light and reflections: The glass panes incorporate dichroic filters that refract shifting daylight, ocean waves, and stormy clouds into shimmering shades of green, gold, amber, and indigo throughout the day.
• Night illumination: Embedded within the glass grid are thousands of programmable coloured LED light strips. In the darker winter months, the facade serves as a public light installation, displaying shifting waves resembling the Northern Lights or interactive digital art pieces.
• Architectural awards: In 2013, Harpa was awarded the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture (the Mies van der Rohe Award), praised for its transformative civic impact following the 2008 financial crisis.

Inside the auditoriums

Harpa has four performance halls:

1. Eldborg (Fire Castle)

The premier symphonic hall, named after a volcanic crater in western Iceland:

• Capacity: 1,800 seats distributed over four vertical tiers.
• Acoustic design: Engineered by New York acoustic firm Artec Consultants (led by Russell Johnson). The interior walls are finished in deep crimson and charcoal acoustic plaster, resembling glowing volcanic magma.
• Acoustic adjustability: Motorised reverberation chamber doors, sound-absorbing curtains, and a movable overhead acoustic canopy allow the hall to adjust reverberation decay from crisp amplified speech to long resonant symphonic acoustics.
• Resident ensembles: Permanent home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands) and the Icelandic Opera.

2. Silfurberg (Silver Rock)

Named after translucent Icelandic spar (calcite crystal):

• Capacity: Up to 750 seated or 1,000 standing.
• Function: Specifically engineered for amplified contemporary music, rock concerts, world music, and jazz festivals, featuring heavy dampening curtains and adaptable modular staging.

3. Norðurljós (Northern Lights)

Located on the second floor, named after the aurora borealis:

• Capacity: 450 seats.
• Aesthetic: Features custom-stained midnight-blue walls with translucent timber panels that can be lit internally in rich hues, creating an ambient glow suited to chamber music, solo recitals, and classical quartets.

4. Kaldalón (Cold Lagoon)

Named after a glacial fjord in the Westfjords:

• Capacity: 195 seats in raked theatre seating.
• Function: The most intimate hall, equipped with timber finishes for poetry readings, lectures, acoustic folk concerts, and masterclasses.

A rehearsal hall inside Harpa. Photo: Jeff Hitchcock from Seattle, WA, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Dining and shopping inside Harpa

The building functions as a cultural hub with services open to daytime visitors:

• Hnoss Bistro: Situated on the ground floor, serving weekday seasonal lunch plates, artisan sandwiches, open smørrebrød, and weekend brunch from 11:00 to 18:00. The bar remains open for cocktails and wine following major evening concerts in Eldborg.
• La Primavera: An upscale Italian-Icelandic dining room on the fourth floor, combining local seafood with classic pasta culinary techniques. Open Thursday through Saturday evenings, offering elevated views over Faxaflói bay and the harbour.
• Rammagerðin design shop: A boutique on the ground floor stocking Icelandic woollen knitwear, ceramic design objects, volcanic pottery, music recordings, and architectural literature.
• Hljóðhimnar: A dedicated, complimentary interactive sound space on the lower level where children can explore musical instruments, tactile sound tubes, and sensory installations.

Two violinists playing in front of Harpa’s glass-panelled wall. Photo: James Poulson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Practical logistics and getting there

Harpa is situated at Austurbakki 2 on the northern waterfront of central Reykjavik:

• Walking: A five-minute flat walk from Lækjartorg transit square, Austurvöllur parliament plaza, or the shops along Laugavegur.
• Public bus: most city routes stop at Lækjartorg, 300 metres south; see our Reykjavik public transport guide.
• Hop-on hop-off bus: Stop 1 on the City Sightseeing route sits immediately outside the southern main revolving doors.
• Parking: an underground car park lies directly beneath Harpa, with payment by app or at the machines.
• Accessibility: Harpa has step-free access, lifts to every floor and wheelchair spaces in the halls.
• What to explore next:
  • Head west along the quayside to the Old Harbour to board whale watching cruises or sample seafood at the rustic shacks in Grandi; see our guide on where to eat in Reykjavik.
  • Walk 10 minutes east along the coastal promenade path to Jón Gunnar Árnason’s stainless-steel Sun Voyager sculpture.
  • Climb south up Skólavörðustígur to Hallgrímskirkja church and tower.
  • Consult the comprehensive Reykjavik city hub for full trip itineraries and booking timelines.

Common questions

Is it free to enter Harpa Concert Hall?

Yes. Admission to the building, its multi-level public foyers, viewpoints, and Hljóðhimnar children's sound space is completely free. You only pay for tickets to scheduled concerts, guided tours inside the auditoriums, or the Volcano Express exhibition.

Can I see inside the main concert hall, Eldborg?

Only by attending an evening performance or joining an official guided architectural tour. Harpa runs guided tours lasting 45 to 60 minutes in English, at 11:00 and 13:00 on scheduled dates. Dates and prices are on Harpa's What's On page.

What are the opening hours of Harpa?

The building opens Sunday to Tuesday from 10:00 to 18:00, and Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00. The box office on the ground floor operates daily from 10:00 to 18:00, extending later on performance evenings. The multi-storey underground car park is accessible 24 hours.

Can you take photos inside Harpa?

Non-commercial holiday snapshots are permitted throughout all public foyers. Because Ólafur Elíasson's geometric glass facade design is legally protected by copyright, commercial photoshoots, drone operations, and filming require written permission in advance from Harpa management (harpa@harpa.is).