DesignMarch the most attended Cultural Festival in Iceland, survey finds

DesignMarch has been identified as the most attended cultural festival in Iceland, according to a recent survey conducted by Prósent examining attendance at cultural events over the past three years. The findings indicate that 10 percent of respondents have attended DesignMarch, compared to 8 percent for the Reykjavík Arts Festival, 6 percent for Iceland Airwaves, and 5 percent for the Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF).

Overall, just under 20 percent of respondents reported having attended one or more festivals during the period. The survey further indicates that women are more likely than men to participate in festival programming. Residents of Reykjavík and Garðabær were found to be the most likely to attend DesignMarch events, followed by residents of Kópavogur.

„DesignMarch serves as a highly significant platform for the creative industries. It contributes to the vibrancy of the city, enhances Reykjavík’s international reputation, and generates positive cultural and economic impact, while fostering dialogue on the future development of the city,” said Arnfríður Sólrún Valdimarsdóttir, Head of the Office of Cultural Affairs within the City of Reykjavík’s Department of Culture and Sports.

„The results of this survey affirm our longstanding view that DesignMarch is a cornerstone event within Iceland’s cultural landscape. It is highly gratifying to see this reflected in empirical data,“ said Helga Ólafsdóttir, Managing Director of DesignMarch. „These attendance figures further reinforce our ambition to deliver an exceptional festival this spring. DesignMarch will take place from 6–10 May.“

The online survey was conducted by Prósent between 22th of October and 4th of November from 2025. A total of 2.000 individuals aged 18 and older participated, with a response rate of 52 percent.