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The Icelandic Opera was formally founded on October 3, 1980 at the initiative of Garðar Cortes and the goal was to give singers the opportunity to work on their art and to make the opera art form accessible to Icelandic audiences.

The first update was Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci at Háskólabíó in 1979. There were five screenings for a full house. In the same year, the Opera accepted the fateful death gift of Helgi Jónsdóttir and the merchant Sigurliður Kristjánsson, and a year later it bought Gamla bíó. It was based there for many years. On January 9, 1982, the first premiere in the Old Cinema was at Strauss' Gypsy Baron. The exhibition was seen by over 23,000 visitors at 49 exhibitions.

In the spring of 2011, a turning point in the history of the Icelandic Opera took place, when it moved from Gamla bíó in Harpa. The first opera update of the Icelandic Opera in the House was The Magic Flute by WA Mozart, which premiered in October 2011.

Since the Opera was founded, numerous updates have been staged, both of the masterpieces of opera literature and newer works, but Icelandic performers have always been in the vast majority. Foreign artists have also worked with the Opera both as performers and artistic directors.

Many of the Icelandic singers who now perform in foreign opera houses with a good reputation have first performed in the field of the Icelandic Opera. To date, more than 400,000 visitors have attended the Opera's performances and tickets have been sold for approximately half a billion ISK. The attendance record still holds for the Gypsy Baron, which has not been beaten, although attendance has been very good.

It has been due to the great energy, ambition and professionalism of the founders, artists and staff that the Icelandic Opera has acquired an important place in the nation's cultural life. She has earned a very good reputation both domestically and abroad for high-quality art events that stand up to international comparisons.

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