Author: Elías Þórsson
Northern Light Explosion Lighting Up The Sky Tomorrow
Tomorrow, does it really come? The answer is most likely, but what is definite, is that as day turns to…
Elly Vilhjálms: Iceland’s Original Diva
Way before there was Björk, in fact, before Björk was even born, there was Elly Vilhjálms–Iceland’s first musical diva. For…
Night Buses In Reykjavík From 2018
As of next year buses in Reykjavík will run through the night on weekends and to 01:00 during the workweek,…
Welcome To Theme Park 101: Impossible Prices, Citizen Flight And The Audacity Of Hope
101 Reykjavík has always been the beating cultural heart of Iceland; it is where Björk became a star, where Iceland…
Time Capsule: Gamla Bíó
One of Reykjavík’s most exquisite buildings, Gamla bíó (the Old Cinema), is one of the those rare spots that makes…
The Story That Could Never Be Told: Iceland’s First Son, The SS Officer
While Europe was gripped in the bloodiest war in history, WWII, the Icelandic nation was being redefined through its recent…
Record Number Of Foreign Workers In Iceland
Figures posted today by Statistics Iceland show that the unemployment rate for July was 1% and hasn’t been lower since…
Word Of The Issue: Hommi
Look up “hommi” in the dictionary and you’ll find the definition of a gay man. But colloquially this word refers…
Music News: Björk, Daði & Jóhanness LaFontaine
by John Rogers and Elías Þórsson
Björk has announced via her social media feeds that a new album—her first since ‘Vulnicura’ in 2015—is coming soon. Few…
Reykjavík Of Yore: The Farmers’ Wet Dream Parliament Made Happen
Not many hotels are deemed so important that Parliament passes laws to get them built, but that was the case…
Áslaug Magnúsdóttir: The Master Collaborator Who Is Taking Centre Stage
by Elías Þórsson and John Rogers
Áslaug Magnúsdóttir takes to the stage in near darkness, her face lit only by her laptop screen. A juddering, bassy…
Double Hvalfjarðargöng And Road Tolls: Need Or Nonsense?
The Hvalfjarðargöngin tunnel is probably the most important infrastructure project in Icelandic history, primarily because it shortened the Ring Road…
Volcanic Apocalypse Now: The Ever Present Risk Of Death
It is the stuff of nightmares—or movies starring Pierce Brosnan and Tommy Lee Jones—but it’s also a reality people living…
The Struggle Continues: Iceland’s Chequered History Of Gay Rights
Hörður Torfason is a musician and an activist. He was the first public figures to come out of the closet…
Flokkur Fólksins: The Populist Uprising?
“This populist label started with Egill Helgason, who runs a political talkshow on RÚV and is supposed to be impartial….
Páll Óskar: Fighting For Equality One Pop Hit At A Time
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson, or Paul Oscar as he is known outside of Iceland, is one of the island nation’s most…
The Great Guide To Pride: Books, Parades and Brunch
by John Rogers, Hannah Jane Cohen and Elías Þórsson
Reykjavík’s annual Pride festival is a colourful explosion of parties, parades, seminars and events all based around celebrating, examining, discussing…
Fighting The System: The Speeding Ticket That Nearly Cost Bala Citizenship
In June, outrage shook the nation as news broke that the Indian-born Bala Kamallakharan was denied Icelandic citizenship due to…
Best of Iceland: Camp, Hike & Visit
by Elías Þórsson, John Rogers and Hannah Jane Cohen
Camp: Atlavík The Atlavík inlet in the Eastfjords is among the most beautiful places in Iceland. It’s a secluded wooded…
Word Of The Issue: Flugdólgur
Until 1989, beer was illegal in Iceland. However, there was one place where beer was legal—the international airport in Keflavík….
Wild At Heart: Capturing The Rawness of Iceland
The book Wild At heart is the work of photography super couple Einar Guðmann and Gyða Henningsdóttir. Around ten years…
The Empire Strikes Back: The Second Coming Of Underground Pop Icon Berndsen
“‘I think we got it good and why should we change a thing.’ Where am I going with this lyric?…
Ísafjörður Town Guide: Feeding Foxes and Seafood To Die For
Ísafjörður is the de facto capital of the Westfjords, and despite having a population of just 2,500, it shows. It’s…
RÚV’s Teletext Service In Disarray – Grapevine In Crisis
Readers will know that the Grapevine newsroom had to look out its window this morning to find a story about…
Icelandic Film ‘Undir trénu’ Nominated At Venice Film Festival
The flim “Undir trénu” has been nominated for the Orizzonti sidebar at the Venice Film Festival, which is devoted to…