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Comedic Closure: Áramótaskaupið’s Enduring Success
There is arguably nobody in Iceland more relieved that it’s 2022 than director Reynir Lyngdal. It’s early in the new year, and debate around ‘Áramótaskaupið’ (sometimes translated to English as ‘The New Year’s Lampoon’) will probably rumble on for another week or…
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Arcadian Arts: A Night In Skagaströnd
A trip to the northern town of Skagaströnd raises questions about Iceland’s identity. Iceland was, until recently, essentially rural. Rapid urbanisation after 1900 changed the country forever and despite Iceland being revered for its beautiful landscape, 94% of the population lives in…
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Horror-Scopes: 2022 Edition
In this edition of Horror-Scopes, our mystic mind readers are tapping into the anthropomorphised positions of stars to tell you what 2022 has in store for you. This is 100% scientifically accurate. Look it up if you don’t believe us. Capricorn: December…
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Grapevine Grassroots: Live Track And Interview With Árný Margrét
The Reykjavík Grapevine is collaborating with the Live From Reykjavík festival to bring you four exclusive interviews and live tracks from up-and-coming Icelandic acts. In this episode we are delighted to introduce you to indie-folk artist Árný Margrét. Árný Margrét, a young…
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Power Trip: A Steamy Day Out Around Iceland’s Hottest Power Stations
Icelandic winter entices for many reasons. There are ice caves, snowy mountains and long, dark nights full of stars and Aurora. But there is another category of beauty and intrigue with a unique premise: power stations. Iceland’s iconic geology is a source…
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RVK Newscast #143: Icelandic Christmas Trees and Covid Numbers
Welcome back to Reykjavík Grapevine’s Newscast! Join journalist Josie Anne as we explore beautiful Hafnarfjörður and talk about what’s going on in Iceland. The big news this week is Covid. Iceland experienced a record-breaking day of Covid numbers last week, with 167…
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YouTube Membership: What’s All This Then?
Since we launched our YouTube membership scheme earlier this month, we’ve been bowled over by your support and kindness. So far we’ve been delighted to have many of you join us aboard the good ship Grapevine, and it’s been a pleasure to…
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Very Identified Flying Object Seen From Iceland
Icelanders were shocked and amazed to see the skies above them light up last night, not with the usual aurora borealis, but instead with a strange moving object that cruised across the night. Many individuals took to social media to share this…
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Dream On: JFDR’s New Album ‘New Dreams’ Is A Portrait Of Growing Up
Jófríður Ákadóttir, who performs under the stage name JFDR, sits in her house, in the midst of a storm that has shut down Reykjavík completely. “I woke up at seven and it was so loud,” she exclaims, as she hunts for an…
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Never Gone: Elín Ey Is Back With A New Voice And A New Style
Elín Ey is hesitant as she attempts to explain the origins of her new EP, ‘Gone.’ Granted, it’s been 11 years since the songstress last released an album, and it’s clear that the interlude has been a time of growth and development.…
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Grapevine Music Awards 2020: Live Band Of The Year – Kælan Mikla
While 2018 saw the release of their seminal breakthrough effort ‘Nótt eftir nótt,’ it was 2019 that cemented Kælan Mikla as bonafide international goth sensations. The dark wave, post-punk trio burst onto the world stage in 2019, with their first ever North…
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Grapevine Music Awards 2020: Artist Of The Year – Hildur Guðnadóttir
“Yeah, how do I explain it?” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir ponders aloud over the phone. She’s currently in Berlin, sitting in her studio. “This year, just by complete accident, both projects that I worked on—the reception of them—went beyond my wildest dreams. It’s…
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Good Weather Not Needed: Exploring Snæfellsnes In Autumn
Autumn. An elusive season in Iceland, it briefly makes an appearance as the endless summer days draw to a close, and before it’s necessary to don full polar survival gear to leave the house. While the American name is less relevant—there aren’t…
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Islands In The Steam: A Trip To Vestmannaeyjar
For most people, Iceland, with its population of only 360,000, fulfils the desire for rural island experiences. But if you’re hankering after another level of remoteness, Vestmannaeyjar has got your back. At least, that’s what I found when I hoped over the…
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Get Off Your High Horse: Riding And Hot Springs
Intern/shieldmaiden Josie saddles up There is something deeply romantic about experiencing a country while horseback riding, but Iceland is particularly charming in this regard. Firstly, Iceland has its own unique breed of horse, the ancestors of which arrived with the first settlers…
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Crack Open A Cold One: Your Guide To Reykjavík Beer Places
Legend has it that a new era of lager has begun. Here’s the ultimate Reykjavík beer guide to help you celebrate. BrewDog Frakkastígur 8 A Scottish import, Brewdog have become one of the larger players in the craft beer world. While they…
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Þakgil: Pack Up And Go
The beauty of living in Iceland is that even if you reside right in the heart of downtown Reykjavík, you are never more than a short drive from being in the middle of nature. In the summer, when the days are endlessly…
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Horror-Scopes: Star-Crossed Lovers
In Horror-Scopes, Grapevine’s dedicated team of professional astrologists breaks down your upcoming weeks based on shit like where the planet Venus was at the rough moment you were born. Aries You have never understood the Icelandic proverb ‘It is late to fence…
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Flow State: Hrím Is Ready To Thrill At Iceland Airwaves
“For a long time, this project has been extremely self-indulgent,” admits Ösp Eldjárn, somewhat bashfully. The project in question is Hrím, a collaboration between herself and fellow musicians Anil Sebastian and Cherif Hashizume. Musically, they bring together a variety of different styles,…
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Adventures In Wander-Land: The Mind And Mystery Of Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
Director Hrafn Gunnlaugsson’s house sits on the edge of the city, dividing the land, sea and opinions. Somewhere between sprawling junk heap and decaying spaceship, it’s hard to believe the structure was built rather than formed through weird forces of magnetism and…
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A Lassie On Laki: Josie Takes Us On Another Mountainous Adventure
What do the French Revolution, national bard of Scotland Robert Burns, and Iceland all have in common? The answer is Laki—a volcanic fissure in the south of Iceland that was responsible for an eight-month long eruption that began in June 1783 and…
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Mentally Sound: Hugar Back With Long-Awaited Second Album
Bergur Þórisson and Pétur Jónsson, the multi-instrumentalists responsible for the rich and dreamy sounds of Hugar, are sitting down to talk prior to the release of their long-awaited second album. ‘Varða,’ which comes out on August 28th. It’s been five years in…
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Happening Tonight: Fjallkonan & Sæta Svínið Summer Festival
The nights may be drawing in but this unusually delightful summer hasn’t quite come to an end yet. Extend your sunshine celebrations at Sæta Svínið and Fjallkonan’s Sumarfestival with a whole host of Reykjavík’s brightest and dearest. The party will take place…
