For a city the size of Reykjavík, there’s definitely a lot going on (per capita, of course), and luckily for you, you’re holding (or scrolling through) an exhaustive list of hotspots worth your attention. Our cultural experts keep tabs on the town’s happenings, but not in a pretentious, professional way — they live here, so they are nothing but upfront about what’s a hit or a miss. 2025 was a great year for culture, with multiple new galleries popping up in Reykjavík, museums seriously levelling up, and some institutions going into hibernation. If you’re going to do anything cultural in Reykjavík, start with some of these.
Best Cinema
Bíó Paradís
Hverfisgata 54
Bíó Paradís is one of 101 Reykjavík’s last treasures. “There are three honest places left in the city: Vitabar, Ölstofan, and Bíó Paradís,” a panellist notes. Known for arthouse gems and Icelandic classics, Bíó Paradís is also active in hosting film festivals — Korean, Latin American, Polish, and more in 2025 alone. Their addition of a new bar has been celebrated by the community: it means you can watch a movie with a cocktail in hand. “They could shut down the cinemas and I would still go there,” one panellist declares. Another adds, “It’s kind of like going to the pool, you can go there alone, and you’ll always meet someone.”
Runner Up:
Sambíó Kringlunni
Kringlan 4
Kringlubíó hadn’t really been on our radar until recent renovations and a shift in programming. Updated screening rooms, including Ásberg’s reclining and couple seats, impressed the panel. “They have these couches, which are just unseen in Icelandic cinemas,” one panellist notes. The cinema now screens classics more often and even does marathon screenings, like a recent Wicked double feature. “They’re adapting to newer times of how we enjoy cinema.”
Runner Up:
Sambíóin Egilshöll
Fossaleynir 1
If you’re browsing hvaderibio.is and feeling like Avatar, Egilshöll is your top pick. It boasts the biggest screen in the country, and chances are all the box-office favourites will be showing. With bowling, an ice skating rink, a bar, a gaming centre, and karaoke on site, the panel agrees you can still make a night of it, even if the movie sucks. As one panellist puts it, “Bowling and a movie is a classic combo.”
Previous Winners:
2025: Bíó Paradís
2024: Bíó Paradís
2023: Bío Paradís
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