The inauguration of the Icelandic Basque Centre in Djúpavík will take place Saturday 20 September 2025. The program will start at 13:00 Saturday 20 September with speeches and then there will be a concert, some delicacies and a theater in the old factory in Djúpavík.
Speeches will be given by Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, former President of Iceland, French ambassador Guillaume Bazard and representative of the Spanish embassy, María Luisa Marteles Gutiérrez del Álamo. Short speeches will be delivered by Héðinn Ásbjörnsson on behalf of the Basque Centre, Ólafur Engilbertsson and Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir on behalf of the Icelandic Basque Association, Xabier Agote CEO of AlbaolaAlex Tyas on behalf of the University Centre of the Westfjords, Denis Laborde and Catherine Chambers on behalf of Haizebegi and the University Centre of the Westfjords along with students who have worked on the Jules Verne project, Pietro Calabretta and Alex Tyas. Furthermore, speeches will be delivered by Skúli Gautason on behalf of the project Forward Árneshreppur and the Westfjords Development Fund and Eva Sigurbjörnsdóttir on behalf of Árneshreppur.
Icelandic mezzo-soprano singer Guðrún Jóhanna Ólafsdóttir and classical guitarist and composer Francisco Javier Jáuregui, who is of Basque origin, present music from the folk traditions of Iceland and the Basque Country arranged by Jáuregui. The duet performs the music with the help of their children, Eva and Leo Jáuregui, and a choir of about 20 students from the Ísafjörður Music School, conducted by Jórunn Björk Magnúsdóttir and Bjarney Ingibjörg Gunnlaugsdóttir. Additionally, a young girl from Djúpavík, Herdís Kolka Héðinsdóttir, sings an Icelandic folk song along with the sisters from Melar, Þorgerður Björnsdóttir, Árný Björnsdóttir, and Ellen Björnsdóttir. Finally, the program includes the play Ariasman, by Tapio Koivukari, produced by the Comedy Theater, performed by Elfar Logi Hannesson and directed by Marsibil G. Kristjánsdóttir.