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A World Beneath Our Feet: The Víðgelmir Lava Cave
It becomes dark almost as soon as we begin our descent into Víðgelmir. It’s the kind of darkness to which your eyes will never adjust, and although above ground it’s a summery twelve degrees Celsius, the temperature has quickly dropped to near…
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Have Some Havarí: On Leaving Reykjavík For The Far East
It would be easy to miss Havarí if you weren’t looking out for it. Along the Ring Road between Djúpivogur and Breiðdalvsík, a simple roadside sign points away from the water towards the cluster of buildings of the Karlsstaðir farm, nestled deep…
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Havarí: Driving The Length Of Iceland To The East-Side Party Barn
After three months on this island, it all came down to a few short final hours and a road trip. Less than two days before my departure from Iceland, I’d been stamping my feet at the Havarí arts space and barn disco…
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Djúpivogur: Slowing Down In The East Fjords
Sometimes we all need a reminder to slow down. As we enter the East Iceland town of Djúpivogur, after a full day of driving from Reykjavík, we see a large snail painted onto the pavement, with the word “SLOW” in bright orange…
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“Viva”: Drag And Discovery In Havana
Although at first glance this film may seem to tell a story we’ve all heard countless times before, about a son searching for the acceptance of his father, the unique setting and characters keep ‘Viva’ fresh. In the bustling capital of a…
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‘Books 4 Refugees’ Brings Library To The Camps
Just a couple months ago, Kristín Rós Kristjánsdóttir was an actor working at a theatre in London. Today, she’s getting ready to return to a refugee camp in northern Greece, where she will be building a library for people who have fled…
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Speed Dating Mosfellsbær
For most people driving north from Reykjavík, Mosfellsbær is the last N1 stop before you venture further along the ring road. This suburban city is bisected completely by Route 1, but if you take one of the exits off one of the…
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Candy Of The Week: Bingo Balls
I promised myself I would make it through this entire candy review without making a joke about Bingo Balls being called “Bingo Balls.” My editor tells me the Icelandic name for this candy—“Bingo Lakkrískúlur”—provides less opportunities for inappropriate jokes about testicles. So…
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Berjadagar Brings Classical To Ólafsfjörður
It may be berry-picking season in Iceland, but for three days this month the town of Ólafsfjörður will have classical music on the brain. The eighteenth annual Berjadagar, which translates to “berry days,” will be held from August 12 to 14, and…
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From Silence To Utopia: Queer History In Iceland
When president Guðni Th. Jóhannesson took the stage at Reykjavík Pride on August 6 followed by a group of drag queens and kings dressed in their finest rainbow-patterned outfits, you’d be excused for thinking Iceland has always been the queerest rock in…
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Mayor To Join Pride Organisers On Parade Float
Reykjavík Pride organisers say that this Saturday’s parade is set to be historic. For the first time ever, the management team behind the festival will be appearing on a float in the parade, where they will be joined by Mayor Dagur B.…
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Queer History On Show As Reykjavík Pride Begins
Downtown Reykjavík became a bit more colourful Tuesday after the sidewalk outside Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík was painted with rainbow colours to kick of the annual Reykjavík Pride festival. Dozens of people gathered outside the building on Lækjargata to watch festival president Eva María…
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Beyond The Binary: Ugla Stefanía On Trans Rights In Iceland
Iceland has “fallen behind” when it comes to legal protections for transgender people, according to trans activist Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir. Their comments come just ahead of the seventeenth annual Reykjavík Pride, a week-long festival celebrating Iceland’s LGBTQI communities that begins on…
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Drag-Súgur: The Queens Of Reykjavík
It’s Tuesday night and the heels are out at the rehearsal space of Drag-Súgur, Reykjavík’s latest and greatest drag performance group. The queens are gearing up for their upcoming performance at Reykjavík Pride, which will be their biggest yet, and the excitement…
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Track Of The Week: Berndsen – “Alter Ego”
“Alter Ego” may have just been released at the beginning of the month, but you’d be excused for thinking it came right from the 80s. This should come as no surprise to those familiar with Berndsen, Reykjavík’s own bearded New Wave god…
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Tómas Guðbjartsson On Treating The Heart Of Iceland
The heart of Iceland is at risk, according to high-profile physician and heart surgeon Tómas Guðbjartsson. While Tómas may be best-known around Reykjavík for his lectures on heart disease and his support of the Landspítali University Hospital, when he made reference to…
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Thousands Expected At The 2016 SlutWalk
For the sixth year in a row, thousands of Icelanders will take to the streets this Saturday to protest victim-blaming, slut-shaming and other social and legal issues that are part of rape culture. SlutWalk has become one the biggest events on the…
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Happening Now: ‘KEEPERS’ At The Museum Of Design And Applied Art
Ever wonder how things end up in a museum’s collection, or how curators decide which objects are worth preserving? In the latest exhibition from the Museum of Design and Applied Art, the focus is shifted away from the actual objects in the…
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Happening Thursday: ‘Saumur’ Release Party At Mengi
‘Saumur’ is the latest album to be released on Mengi’s label, and features ambitious musical creations from a trio of talented musicians: Skúli Sverrisson on bass, Hilmar Jensson on guitar and Arve Henriksen on vocals. The album surveys a vast range of…
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Half An Hour In Hella
“What the hell are you going to do in Hella?!” asked my friend, when I filled him in on my latest travel destination. It’s true that Hella (pronounced ‘Hett-la’) is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town: to the west, it’s bound by the Ytri-Rangé river,…
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Icelandic Summer Beer: The Definitive Guide
It’s summertime in Reykjavík, when temperatures consistently break 15 degrees and the constant sounds of construction have nearly driven you off the deep end. But there’s something else brewing in the Icelandic summer air: the hoppy smell of all the seasonal beers.…
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A Pedestrian’s Guide To Reykjavík
There’s no better way to discover a new city than by foot. Once you get out of the car or bus, everything slows down, but more than that, it gives you more time to think. “I suspect that the mind, like the…
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Combating Cynicism On Rockall
What if you could start over, and build a new society from the ground up? That’s the central question posed by the Travelling Embassy of Rockall, a new art installation on the Reykjavík waterfront. To the unwitting passerby, the collection of empty…
