The European Film Awards were awarded in Harpa on December 10, 2022. Awarded by the European Film Academy, they are the most well-known and prestigious awards given to European films. This was the first A-list event to be held in Iceland and the largest event of its kind so far. The event had been four years in preparation and was attended by approximately 700 foreign guests and 100 journalists from 43 countries, including a number of well-known directors and actors. The event was televised live on Icelandic national television and throughout Europe. ÖRUGG was in charge of organizing the event’s response and evacuation aspects, as well as risk management and coordination of security at the event itself.

As with other events in Harpa, the safety of visitors was a priority, but due to the importance of the event and the live broadcast to tens of millions of viewers, there was a special focus on ensuring the safety of the event itself and an undisturbed broadcast via specific measures. To this end, ÖRUGG issued a variety of ancillary data and coordinated organization in collaboration with internal and external parties. It is safe to say that the whole project was a success and a major credit to Harpa, The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) and others who had a hand in the event.

‍