Sirkus: the 11th Hour

On January 25 – 27, legendary bar Sirkus on Klapparstígur marked its impending closing and demolition with a three-day-long series of concerts during which more than 50 “friends of Sirkus” performed. The bands, (pictured clockwise from top,) included Hjaltalín, Sigur Rós, and Jan Mayen, among others. Squeezing into the tiny pub throughout the weekend was a crowd that was not only unrelenting but distinctly dissimilar to what is known as the usual “Sirkus crowd.” It seems that the farewell ceremony was also cause for a little late night tourism for those who infrequently or never had stepped inside the pub. The weekend was nonetheless a great success, and rallied, among other things, a hoard of signatures for an online petition against the demolition of the house, which was presented to Mayor Ólafur F. Magnússon on January 30. Sirkus is however, currently closed and the lot waiting further development later this year.