Herðubreið – Community and Culture House

The Herðubreið Community and Culture House hosts various performances, shows and events throughout the year as well as two arts festivals (lunga.is, listiljosi.com) and a film festival (flatearthfilmfestival.club).

On a daily basis Herðubreið has an operating licensed cafe with workspaces for adults and children, it is the residence of the LungA Art School as well as the host for the local school dining. Keep up to date with events, classes and exhibitions here.

Herðubreið has two large halls and can host special events, dance classes, conferences, meetings and more. The venue can also house smaller activities in three additional private spaces.
Bookings and enquiries can be made at [email protected] or at Herðubreið – Austurvegur 4, Seyðisfjörður 710 where the operators of the house Celia Harrison and Sesselja Hlín Jónasardóttir can be seen daily.

OPENING HOURS

Monday – Friday: 09:00 – 16:00

HISTORY

In 1923, the Herðubreið group was formed with a vision to build a meeting house for Seyðisfjörður. In 1930, they acquired an old house to screen films (Meyjarskemmu – FAS) and fundraise for the community centre. Twenty-five years later, Herðubreið was official established.  The construction of the community centre began in 1946 and it was designed by Einar Erlendsson with the interiors designed by Gísli Halldórsson. Pétur Blöndal managed the construction of the house along with plumbing and Garðar Eymundsson managed the wood work and painting together with Jóni Brynjólfsson. The house cost 1,300,000 KR  and was unveiled on December 16th, 1956. That evening the community danced the night away in the new centre. The newer part of the building is designed by Gísli Halldórsson, an architect for numerous buildings, including Laugardalur Gymnasium and Laugardalshöllin, the Reykjavik Police Station, Hotel Loftleidir, Reykjavik Customs Station, Hotel Esju and Reykjavik Workforce and several community centres and sports halls around Iceland.

During the herring years Herðubreið was alive with daily movies and frequent large gatherings and dances and there was a visible need to expand the community centre. Construction began in 1963 and in 1973 the multi-purpose hall was launched. The main hall in Herðubreið started out as a primary school, it has been a woodwork studio, canteen and sports hall adapting to the need of the town. Today the management is working to re-instate the windows on the south wall and open up the hall for further community use as well as re-launching the East Iceland Cinema.