Warm Welcome in the Faroe Islands
June 22, 2026
Photographs: Bjarni Árting Rubeksen and EFI.
First day of the official visit of the presidential couple to the Faroe Islands.
The Prime Minister welcomes the President at Vágar Airport.
“Between Iceland and the Faroe Islands there have long been channels of exchange … routes across the sea that have carried people, ideas, knowledge and friendship between our countries,” said the President in her toast in Tórshavn. The full speech is available in Icelandic here.
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The presidential couple, Halla Tómasdóttir and Björn Skúlason, began a three-day official visit to the Faroe Islands yesterday. Their hosts are the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands, Beinir Johannesen, and his wife, Helena Johannesen. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the close ties between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and to work towards further cooperation between the countries, including in the fields of fisheries, energy, innovation and culture.
The Prime Minister and spouse welcomed the President and her spouse and their delegation at Vágar Airport shortly after two o’clock. From there they proceeded to Tinganes in Tórshavn, the seat of the Faroese Government. The President held a meeting there with the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Björn Skúlason and Helena Johannesen visited the restaurant Heima in Tórshavn, which has been breaking new ground in the development of Faroese culinary traditions.
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister couple hosted the President and her spouse and their delegation at a reception in Tinganes, together with ministers of the Faroese government. From there they walked through Reyn, one of the oldest districts of Tórshavn. The next stop was the parliament building, where the Speaker of the Faroese Parliament, Johan Dahl, welcomed the guests and spoke about the work of the parliament. Afterwards, the President and First Lady visited the showroom of the Faroese company Guðrun & Guðrun, which has earned a strong reputation for weaving together traditional craftsmanship and modern fashion design.
The programme on this first day of the visit concluded with a gala dinner hosted by the Prime Minister and spouse at Hotel Føroyar. The President and the Prime Minister gave toasts and both spoke about the precious friendship between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Among other things, the President said:
“I particularly admire how the Faroese tend their roots with such care while at the same time facing the future with courage and optimism. Here there does not seem to be the same tension between tradition and progress as in many other places. They appear to live side by side and strengthen one another. Perhaps small island nations like ours understand better than many others how precious the balance between the two is. We are well aware that we cannot face the future without knowing where we come from. This is, to some extent, the lesson we have drawn from living so closely with capricious nature. Strong roots are a prerequisite for growth and for human society to flourish and meet diverse challenges.”
During the dinner, guests listened to musical performances by Faroese artists, including the singer Eivør Pálsdóttir, and after the meal danced the traditoinal Faroese chain dance. The official visit of the presidential couple continues today, with their itinerary, together with the Prime Minister and spouse, including among other places Runavík and Klaksvík.
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