Tórshavn merchants demand end to road closures for festival

Merchants in central Tórshavn have criticised the city council for prolonged road closures ahead of Tórsfest, a private commercial event taking place Friday evening.

In an open letter on Facebook, the FK í Miðbýnum trade association accused the council of disrupting business by blocking streets for days, calling the setup unnecessarily slow. “Can you not open the roads in the city centre tomorrow morning on time, not at 13:00? You are destroying all commercial life here by closing all roads for so many days in advance,” the letter stated. It noted other locations manage such barriers in hours, not days, and urged the council to relocate the event to Skálatrøð next year for better conditions.

The association also questioned the financial terms granted to the festival, asking what fees apply to such events and how much revenue the city forgoes by allowing them.

Attempts to reach Tórshavn mayor Elsa Berg for comment were unsuccessful.