Every June, we celebrate Takk, Ísland / Thank You, Iceland, and this year we did it with our biggest crowd so far: around 130 colleagues, partners and friends came together to mark the occasion.
If you’re wondering why Vilnius streets fill up every June to thank a country 2,000 km away, here’s some backstory: in 1991, Iceland was the first country to recognise Lithuania’s restored independence. That’s not a small thing to forget, and Vilnius doesn’t, so every summer the city sets aside a day to say thank you. For us at PAYSTRAX, the event carries even more weight as we have offices in both Lithuania and Iceland, and the company was founded by Icelanders. So every year we sponsor the Vilnius city festival and come together to celebrate properly.
Traditionally, the evening began at Sanatorija bar, with drinks, food and some good conversation that’s hard to come by during a normal working week. The room filled up quickly with amazing company. We were glad to welcome friends and partners from across the fintech and business community: Invest Lithuania, Lithuanian Fintech Association, Ballerine, EY, Skaylink, Go Vilnius, British Chamber of Commerce, Emplonet, People Link, First Impression Consulting, Forberg Aviation and many more. We were also honoured to welcome guests from Iceland: the President of Iceland from 2016 to 2024, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson., Ambassador Harald Aspelund from the Consulate of Iceland in Lithuania, and former Icelandic Ambassador Árni Þór Sigurðsson.
From Sanatorija, we headed out to Islandijos Street, where the city festival was in full swing. There’s always plenty going on and this year was no exception. Our team threw itself into the Viking street tournament: rope-pulling, guessing Icelandic words based on vibes, and some real team bonding (even when we were on opposite teams). Afterwards, we made our way to the festival’s tasting programme, where Michelin Green Star chef Arnór Ingi Bjarkason served up genuinely unusual Icelandic flavours. Strange? Yes. Surprisingly good? Also yes. Between the food, the music and the crowds along the street, it was a warm and lively evening.
Thank you to everyone who came along and made this our biggest Takk, Ísland yet. Whether you’ve been with us for years or joined the party for the first time, you’re part of what makes this night what it is. At its heart, the celebration is about friendship, freedom and community.
Takk, Ísland. Ačiū Tau, Islandija. Until we all come together next June!
We’ve gathered some of the best moments from the night – take a look through the gallery below 👇
