The Imagine Peace Tower, a work of art located on Viðey Island in Reykjavík, illuminates the sky at certain times of the year as a beacon of world peace and well wishes. Yoko Ono, musician, artist and advocate for peace, helped create this tower to dedicate to her late husband, John Lennon.
Since its opening in 2007, the tower is lit yearly from October 9th to December 8th in alignment with Lennon’s birth and death dates. It also shines brightly during the winter solstice, spring equinox and on New Year’s Eve. The light beams continuously change with Iceland’s unique weather conditions, offering a beautiful ray of light each night it is lit. The beams themselves even use Iceland’s geothermal power to illuminate the sky all night long.
Each year on October 9th, Yoko Ono pays her annual visit to Iceland and invites all to come watch the lighting ceremony. “Iceland is such a spiritual place – I always feel such a strong energy when I return there. Love, peace, understanding and the power of nature are easy to forget in today’s fast-paced modern life. In Iceland, particularly on Viðey, it becomes easier to remember how important these things are to us all and to the planet. John would have loved it,” writes Ono. The island offers free ferry boats and a cafe with plenty of Icelandic food for visitors to enjoy.
More information on visiting the tower can be found here, and you can find the full program of events below.
6:30 pm: Guidance by Reykjavík Art Museum about the works of Richard Serra.
7:00 pm: A guided tour about the history of Viðey by Reykjavík City Museum.
7:30pm: Music performance by Sóley Stefnánsdóttir.
8:40 pm: Graduale Nobili choir of performs at the Imagine Peace Tower art piece.
Yoko Ono speaks at the ceremony and the Mayor of Reykjavík, Dagur B. Eggertsson.
9:00 pm: The illumination of the Imagine Peace Tower
9:30 pm: The musician Svavar Knútur performs at Viðeyjarnaust.
Refreshments can be bought in Viðeyjarnaust and Viðeyjarstofa.
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