Kumbiavík Festival 2026

  

Kumbiavík Festival returns to Reykjavík from 8–10 October 2026 with three days celebrating cumbia, Latin American music and the visual, social and community cultures surrounding them.

Thursday, 8 October – Emergencia Tropical Exhibition

The festival opens at RVK Brewing Co. / Tónabíó with Emergencia Tropical, a cultural exhibition exploring the history and development of cumbia.

The exhibition brings together the five Emergencia Tropical fanzines and their compiled reader, historical record artwork and a photographic selection by Bogotá-based visual artist, photographer and vinyl selector La Pinche Tefi, also known as Stephanie Ascanio. Her photographs document cumbia culture and the communities that keep it alive.

The opening also features musical curation tracing the journey of African and Afro-diasporic music through the Caribbean and Latin America, connecting cumbia with salsa, boogaloo, merengue, Latin soul and psychedelic tropical sounds.

Admission to Thursday’s programme is free.

Friday, 9 October – Cumbia on Film and Vinyl

Friday’s programme at Bíó Paradís presents a selection of films exploring cumbia, sonidero culture and the communities surrounding the music:

• Musas USA

• Kumbia Net: Un Estilo Bien Diferente

• Sonidero Metrópolis

Our special guest is Space Primo, aka Álvaro de la Parra — a vinyl selector, filmmaker and director from Los Angeles.

Space Primo will personally present his films and join a conversation with the audience after the screenings.

The evening continues with vinyl DJ sets by MRREED from Germany and Space Primo from Los Angeles.
  Doors: 18:30
Programme starts: 19:00  

Saturday, 10 October – Community Activities, Salsa and Main Concert

Saturday begins with free family and community activities from 14:00 to 16:30, including Mexican bingo, cultural activities, music, food and a presentation of traditional Colombian cumbia dance by Colombia Boreal.

DJ selections during the daytime programme will feature AlterLatinX and Kumbiavík Collective.

The ticketed programme begins at 17:00 with a salsa class, followed by a salsa social dance featuring a special selection of music curated by Kumbiavík Collective for the occasion.

Los Bomboneros, celebrating their tenth anniversary, perform after the salsa social to keep everyone dancing. They are followed by La Dimensión with special guest Superzona.

Sonido Fin closes the festival with the best of cumbia.

DJ selections throughout the event will also feature AlterLatinX and Kumbiavík Collective.