Grants Announced for Cultural Events in Iceland’s Public Pools

2026-03-02 - 12:05

Cultural projects set in Iceland’s public swimming pools will be eligible for new funding in 2026. The announcement from Stjórnarráð Íslands follows recognition of the country’s swimming pool culture by UNESCO. What's the Story? ISK 4 million allocated by the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education for swimming pool cultural events in 2026 Maximum grant of ISK 500,000 per project; collaboration between municipalities, institutions and individuals encouraged Application deadline 20 March 2026 via the ministry’s online portal Yoga in the swimming pool. Photo: Golli. Iceland Review. UNESCO status marked The Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education, in partnership with the National Museum of Iceland, has opened a grant scheme to support events designed to highlight the social and cultural role of swimming pools. Organisers are encouraged to stage programmes that both raise awareness of the tradition and contribute to community life. A total of ISK 4 million has been set aside for the initiative. Individual awards will not exceed ISK 500,000. Applications are open to municipalities that operate swimming facilities, as well as museums, cultural institutions, non-profit organisations and individuals. Joint projects are encouraged, and confirmation of cooperation between partners must be included with submissions. All events supported under the scheme are scheduled to take place in 2026. The deadline for applications is 20 March 2026, and submissions must be made through the ministry’s application portal.