Tone Eggs, Rhythm Bells and Singing Whales
Dýratónar (Animal Sounds) is a collection of musical instruments inspired by the songs and calls of animals. It usually lives in Hljóðhimnar (Sound Worlds) at Harpa, but on special occasions it ventures across the corridor to Vísa, a room on Harpa's ground floor.
On Culture Night, musician sóley and the design team ÞYKJÓ invite children and families to create their own melodies and rhythms inspired by the sounds of insects and songbirds. Visitors will also have the chance to go behind the scenes, discover how the mechanisms inside the instruments work, and explore the remarkable sound world of animals—both big and small.
Animal Sounds | Harpa on Reykjavík Culture Night
Harpa tónlistar- og ráðstefnuhús, Austurbakki 2, 101 Reykjavík Directions
Sat 22.08.2026 13:00
Performers
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ÞYKJÓ
Crafting activity at the event
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Opening of CultureNight 2022
CultureNight is a festival of arts, food and all kinds of entertainment, marking Reykjavik's foundation anniversary.
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Soley
Born in Hafnarfjörður Iceland, Sóley Stefánsdóttir has attracted a cult following with her fairytale song-craft. Sóley’s fantastical sepia-toned alt-pop tunes continued with the release of her debut full-length album We Sink in 2011. Receiving acclaim through her delicate compositions, soaked in dream-like qualities & dark surrealism, her song Pretty Face would go on to generate an enormous amount of buzz & legions of converts.
Having studied piano & composition at the Icelandic Art Academy, Sóley released the EP Krómantík in 2014, comprised of piano works originally composed for various theater & film productions, & returned to even darker, nocturnal themes with sophomore album Ask The Deep, which came out in early 2015. Following its release, she once again toured the world & supported John Grant for his UK shows in early 2016.
On releasing her third album Endless Summer in Summer 2017, she left the darkness of Ask The Deep behind & focused on more organic acoustic arrangements. Endless Summer was written and recorded over the span of 12 months with long-time friend & collaborator Albert Finnbogason. 2017 through 2018 saw Sóley collaborate with Sin Fang & múm’s Örvar Smárason under the moniker Team Dreams & as of Fall 2018.
Sóley published her fourth solo album Harmonik in 2020 and the album Mother Melancholia in 2021. The album’s release was be supported & accompanied by an extensive run of European shows throughout 2021.
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DÝRATÓNAR
A musical event where birds, insects, whales, and children unite.
