Icelandic President hosts Culture Night open house, reflects on community and violence

President Halla Tómasdóttir described herself as "completely worn out" after hosting nearly 2,000 visitors at an open house at the presidential residence, Bessastaðir, on Culture Night. This marked the third time the residence has held such an event on the holiday, which Tómasdóttir believes is crucial for fostering community and solidarity. "I think it matters incredibly much to us," she said of the holiday. "Now generations and families go together and experience music, art exhibitions and togetherness, visit Bessastaðir and City Hall, sing and dance together, I cherish this gathering so much." She noted the particular joy of seeing children lead their grandparents or parents through the historic residence. The number of visitors has grown from 1,600 in her first year in office to over 2,000 this year. Tómasdóttir also spoke about a tragic event during a previous Culture Night when a young person fatally stabbed another. This incident deeply affected the community. In its wake, a movement called the Knights of Charity formed and has since raised nearly 200 million Icelandic króna (approximately $1.4 million USD). These funds are designated for a building purchased to support victims of violence and their families. "This is a very beautiful story, even though the reason is terrible," Tómasdóttir remarked. Reflecting on broader societal issues, the President commented on recent school attacks in Sweden, noting that such violence has become "too common." She expressed a collective resolve within Icelandic society to confront such incidents, stating, "My feeling is that we as a society decided to face this because it is not acceptable in Iceland. We continue to come together on Culture Night in the spirit it was meant to create."