Hjaltalín is back! Heima í Hafnarfirði is doing a spinoff in Akranes! Halloween costumes are probably close to selling out, and Hallgrímur Helgason has managed to publish a new book and open an art exhibition (teach us your ways, Hallgrímur). All in all, a lot is going on! If you’re torn between baking that apple pie, heading to IKEA for an early Christmas haul (the goat is back and ready to be burned — shhh), or giving in to hibernation season, here’s our advice: don’t. Go check out a concert, exhibition, book launch, or even karaoke — whatever grabs you.
To stay updated on what’s happening in Reykjavík, be sure to grab the freshest copy of the Grapevine or check events.grapevine.is.
Friday October 25 — 19:30 — Klappastígur 29 — Free
When the beloved Svartbysvart shop in downtown Reykjavík closed due to its artist-owner relocating to Japan (and opening a new shop there — congrats, Marko!), the space at Klapparstígur 29 took a brief pause to reimagine its purpose. Now, reborn as Grænt og grænt and run by Jorinde Chang, the space is reopening to offer Reykjavíkings a curated selection of prints, ceramics, jewellery and more by local artists. Join their opening party for a taste of what this new space has in store. IZ
Friday October 25 — 20:00 — Gamla Bíó — 8.890 ISK
If you missed Hjaltalín at the last LungA, tonight is your chance to catch the band live for the first time in five years. With the unmatched atmosphere of Gamla Bíó, the enigmatic charisma of Högni, and a crowd singing along to “Þú komst við hjartað í mér” — what’s not to love? Do you really want to wait another five years? You’ve been warned. IZ
Saturday October 26 — 19:30 — Akranes — 7.900 ISK
If you think about it, Heima Skagi is sort of like a spinoff to the decade-old Heima í Hafnarfirði music festival. Turning the familiar format on its head, Heima’s premise is based on community participation between locals and musicians. This time around, the people of Akranes turn their living rooms into music venues, welcoming performances by artists such as Elín Hall and Spacestation. If you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, head over to Akranes this weekend. JB
Halloween Iceland 2024 at Gaukurinn
Saturday October 26 — 20:00 — Gaukurinn — 3.000 ISK
For those who can’t wait to show off their Halloween costumes, Gaukurinn has the perfect event for you. First of all, no entry without a costume. Secondly, the best costumes might even win prizes. And no, “sad, overworked and underpaid millennial” doesn’t count as a costume. “There may or may not be entertainment, if they find their way,” says the event description. Who knows what that means, but goddamn, put on that ridiculous costume! IZ
CIRCLE — a SCI-FI chamber opera
Sunday October 27 — 19:30 — Harpa — 3.900 ISK
“A spaceship is headed for outer space. The superhero flies through the universe towards a planet inhabited by robots and aliens. A community with a charismatic leader follows on a journey into the universe, in search of a new planet and a new life,” reads the description of a sci-fi chamber opera Circle. This seems like one of those cases where we don’t exactly know what to expect — but we’re intrigued. Why not go and tell us how it was? Bring the kids along. IZ
Runs until February 9 — Kjarvalsstaðir (Reykjavík Art Museum)
Hallgrímur is an excellent novelist and social commentator who also paints and draws. And by that we don’t mean that he is primarily the former and dabbles in the latter. No, his paintings and drawings would have made a career in themselves. Especially well known for his novels 101 Reykjavík and Woman at 1.000 Degrees, Hallgrímur has been a keen observer of and commentator on Icelandic society for a third of a century. And what does he want his paintings to be? “I want my colours to come alive, take huge risks, and not be too tasteful. Ideally, paintings should wreak havoc in a space, take over the living room, disrupt the balance, destroy the marriage!” So there you have it. JTS
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