Ísafjörður · Easter, 26–27 March 2027
Aldrei fór ég suður 2027 and Skíðavikan — Easter in the Westfjords, and where to stay
Aldrei fór ég suður runs on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 March 2027 in Ísafjörður. Admission is free, as it has been every year since the festival began in 2004, and it happens in the middle of Skíðavikan — the ski week that has taken over the town at Easter since 1935. It is the busiest week of the year in the northern Westfjords, and the one where beds run out first. Bolungarvík is 15 minutes away through the tunnel, which is where people stay once Ísafjörður is full.
The festival at a glance
When
Friday 26 – Saturday 27 March 2027, over the Easter weekend
Where
Ísafjörður, northern Westfjords — 15 minutes from Bolungarvík
Admission
Free — it has never charged since it started in 2004
Format
Each act plays about 20 minutes. No soundchecks, and no headliners
Alongside it
Skíðavikan, the Easter ski week, running since 1935
What the festival actually is
Aldrei fór ég suður — "I never went south" — was started in 2004 by the musician Mugison, who grew up in Ísafjörður, and his father Guðmundur Kristjánsson, after an idea the year before. It takes its name from a Bubbi Morthens song, and the idea has not changed since: bring some of the biggest names in Icelandic music to a small Westfjords town and put them on the same bill as local acts, for nothing. Every band plays a short set of around twenty minutes, there are no soundchecks, and the programme has no headline slot. It is run in a harbour warehouse in the middle of town over the Easter weekend, and it has become the reason a lot of Icelanders drive five hours north at Easter.
The 2027 line-up
The festival has announced acts for both nights of 2027, among them Páll Óskar with Benni Hemm Hemm, Amabadama, Kælan Mikla and Falinn Gjóður. Line-ups grow as Easter approaches and the full programme, poster and set times go up on the festival’s own site.
aldrei.is — the festival’s programme
Skíðavikan — the ski week around it
Skíðavikan is the older half of the week. It was first held in 1935 and has run nearly without interruption ever since — cancelled only in 1949 during a disease outbreak in Ísafjörður and in 2020–21 for Covid, with a pause from 1988 to 1990. When it came back after 1990 it was rebuilt as a town-wide celebration rather than a competition, so it is now as much street events, music and food as it is skiing on the slopes above Ísafjörður.
Skíðavikan’s 2027 dates are not published yet — in 2026 it ran from 30 March to 6 April, covering the whole Easter week. The organisers publish the programme at skidavikan.is and paskar.is closer to the time; we would rather point you there than guess.
Why beds are the hard part
Bolungarvík and Ísafjörður together hold only a few thousand people, and there is no reserve of hotel rooms waiting for a festival weekend. When Skíðavikan and Aldrei fór ég suður land in the same week, the fjord is simply full, and accommodation goes months in advance — earlier than most visitors expect. Dúfan Apartments has four self-catering apartments in Bolungarvík, 15 minutes from the venue through the Bolungarvíkurgöng tunnel: full kitchens, laundry and 24-hour self check-in, which matters when a festival night ends late and the slopes open early. Booking direct is always our lowest price.
Getting there at Easter
Ísafjörður has an airport with flights from Reykjavík, and the drive north takes roughly five to six hours in good conditions. Easter is still winter here: the road can close at short notice and the weather turns fast. Check conditions at road.is and travel advice at safetravel.is before every leg, and give yourself a buffer day if you are driving up for a fixed date.
Common questions
When is Aldrei fór ég suður 2027?
Friday 26 and Saturday 27 March 2027, in Ísafjörður in the northern Westfjords. The festival is held over the Easter weekend every year.
Is Aldrei fór ég suður free?
Yes. Admission has been free every year since the festival started in 2004, and that is central to how it is run — the founders wanted a festival that anyone could walk into.
What is Skíðavikan?
Skíðavikan, or Ski Week, is Ísafjörður’s Easter ski festival. It was first held in 1935 and has run nearly without interruption since, and today it is a town-wide celebration — skiing on the slopes above the town plus street events, music and food across the whole Easter week. The 2027 dates are published by the organisers closer to the time; in 2026 it ran 30 March to 6 April.
Where should you stay for Aldrei fór ég suður?
Ísafjörður itself sells out first and earliest. Bolungarvík is 15 minutes away through the tunnel and is where most people end up staying when the town is full — the same day-trip reach, usually at a lower price. Book Easter dates months ahead either way.
How far is Bolungarvík from the festival?
About 15 minutes by car through the Bolungarvíkurgöng tunnel. The road is paved and serviced year-round, though Easter is still winter and conditions can change quickly.
Planning the trip: all Westfjords events and festivals → · where to stay in the Westfjords → · Fossavatnsgangan 2027 →
Sources: aldrei.is, skidavikan.is, westfjords.is, road.is, safetravel.is.
Fifteen minutes from the festival
Four self-catering apartments in Bolungarvík — live prices, and direct is always our lowest.
Book direct securely — availability and payment are handled by our booking system, and your confirmation arrives by email.