Ljósanótt - Night of the Lights festival in Reykjanes

WORK/PROJECT:

SEEDS volunteers will be working with the Ljósanótt festival or night of the lights festival. Ljósa means lights and nótt means night.

The main projects for the volunteers will be setting up for the festival and cleaning after the festival. Volunteers will assist during the festival as needed and should be flexible and willing to assist with various projects.

Volunteers will also be given the option of preparing an act or something artistic during the night of the lights festival. We encourage people who are interested in arts and culture to apply, as volunteers with skills and ready to perform outdoors or prepare their own artwork.

ACCOMMODATION:

SEEDS volunteers will stay in a fully equipped house; in a sleeping bag accommodation sharing rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Volunteers will receive food and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities.

Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

LOCATION:

The work camp will take place in Reykjanesbær which is a mere five minute drive from Keflavik airport. The distance between Reykjanesbær and Reykjavik the capital is 50 Km or a 40 minute drive.

The Reykjanes, peninsula at the south–western end of Iceland is located near the capital and most travellers to Iceland land in the area: As the Reykjanes coastline draws closer and the plane prepares to land at Keflavík Airport, the peninsula is marked by active volcanism under its surface, and large lava fields allow little vegetation.

There are numerous hot springs and sulphur springs in the southern half of the peninsula, around the Kleifarvatn Lake and the Krýsuvík geothermal area where hot springs spewing water and mud dominate the landscape. The Peninsula is envied for its long & short hiking trails that zigzag through the region where colourful landscapes and their contrasts delight the visitor. Amazing ocean cliffs, (up to 70 m high) are nested by numerous bird species, often a wonderful spot for bird and whale watching.

There is also a geothermal power station at Svartsengi, where a pool has been installed using the hot and mineralized water coming down from the station; it is known as the "Blue Lagoon". The Blue Lagoon Spa is the only spa in the world on the 25 wonders of the world list. The Leif the Lucky Bridge spans the Álfagjá rift valley (60 feet wide and 20 feet deep) near Grindavík that marks the boundary of the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates, named after Icelandic explorer Leif Eriksson who travelled from Europe to America 500 years before Columbus.

The night of the lights festival, Ljósanótt, is held yearly in Reykjanesbær the first weekend of September. It starts on a Thursday and ends on a Sunday. This cultural festival has various shows, concerts and gatherings and people from all over come to participate in the festivities. 

LANGUAGE:

English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

TERMINAL:

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS:

Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros).

SEEDS volunteers will be given a chance to participate in the festivities by creating their own act or exhibition.  SEEDS and our host will organise an excursion to the blue lagoon and the surroundings.

Age: 18+