Aurora Watercolour Festival

The Aurora Watercolour Festival 2026 officially opened yesterday at the Akureyri Art Museum, bringing watercolour artists from Iceland and around the world together in Akureyri.

The international festival takes place from 10–27 September 2026, celebrating the art of watercolour through exhibitions, workshops, courses and practical demonstrations.

The festival brings together internationally acclaimed watercolour painters as well as Icelandic artists who have distinguished themselves in their work. Guðmundur Ármann Sigurjónsson is the festival’s patron, while Nicolás Lopez from Peru is this year’s guest of honour.

Other confirmed artists include Björn Bernström from Sweden, Julia Ustinovich from Poland, Julia Barminova from Portugal, Kasia Wiercińska from Norway and Prafull Sawant from India.

The main exhibition at the Akureyri Art Museum features works selected by an international jury and will be open to visitors throughout the festival, from 10–27 September.

The main festival programme runs from 10–13 September, offering a varied programme of workshops, courses and practical demonstrations. Visitors can also discover different watercolour brands and materials and meet artists taking part in the festival.

Aurora Watercolour Festival is a collaboration between the Akureyri Art Museum and the Icelandic Watercolour Association. Ragnar Hólm Ragnarsson is the project manager.

For the next three weeks, Akureyri will be a meeting place for watercolour artists and enthusiasts from near and far, offering a colourful celebration of creativity, technique and the many possibilities of watercolour.

For more information visit the events FB page