Cultural activities and museums
The community in Akranes is vibrant and flourishing. Akranes has more residents than ever before and the town is a peaceful and beautiful place for families to make their permanent home. Akranes has a uniquely family-friendly and safe environment where there is particular emphasis on providing the residents with extensive, high-quality services. It is important for a flourishing town to have a robust and diverse cultural life where everyone can find something that suits them. There is a strong cultural scene in Akranes with at least two town fairs each year, Irish Days in July and the cultural fair Waking Days in November, where the locals and guests can enjoy all the best endeavours of the artists in the town, in addition to which there are many other artists who come to the area to take part in this awesome festival. Akranes is a culturally vibrant place where there are regular concerts, either by one of the numerous local choirs or by other musicians. Norðurálsmótið, an annual football tournament sponsored by the aluminium company Norðurál, also takes place in Akranes and is attended by people from all over the country at the end of June.
The Akranes Folk Museum has in recent years made a good name for itself as one of the main attractions of Akranes, due to the fact that going there is quite an experience, even for people who otherwise are not interested in museums. The museum gives an extensive account of the history of human habitation in the area as well as the labors and daily lives of the locals through the ages.
The library in Akranes has about 80,000 books and magazines plus CDs, videos and multimedia content to name but a few things. The library has wireless LAN or hot spots for those who wish to bring their own computers and work online. Internet-connected computers and printer access is available in the library. The children’s section of the library is a cosy, popular place for families with children to visit. The library shares a building with the County Archives of Akranes and the Akranes Museum of Photography.
