You know that feeling when summer is winding down, your vacation is already a distant memory, and the return to quotidian drudgery hangs over you like the sword of Damocles? Doesn’t it just make you wanna get on your bike and go? It sure does for us, as the first weekend of August is Verslunarmannahelgi (“Merchant’s Day Weekend”), which marks the beginning of the end of the Icelandic summer.
This year it lands on August 2 to 5. Many Icelanders take the opportunity to head out to the abundance of countryside festivals, while Reykjavík’s city slickers hold things down in the city. For everyone hanging around, here are our top three picks for the long weekend. For a full rundown of countrywide events, we recommend you type “Verslunarmannahelgi 2024” into Ask Jeeves.
Norðanpaunk
August 2-4 | Laugarbakki, North Iceland | 11.900 ISK
You know that meme that’s like “If there’s no girls, goths, or gays, I’m not going”? If you giggled and double-tapped it, this is the festival for you. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Norðanpaunk (“northern punk”) is a countryside celebration of dark, extreme, underground and weird music in Iceland including sets from Gróa, Hekla, Retrön, Börn, and more. A truly wholesome festival for freaks and their families.
Innipúkinn
August 2-4 | Gamla Bíó & Röntgen | 5.990 – 9.990 ISK
This one is like the meme of Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids drinking lemonade in her car going “Shit, that is fresh.” Tailor-made for the cool kids who can’t be arsed to leave the city — the downtown-lifestyle “indoor demons” who’re ready to paaaaartyyy — it’s a three day rager featuring Hatari, Hermigervill, Kælan Mikla, Pál Oskar, and a huge lineup that’ll make you happy you stayed in the city.
Rokkhátið
August 1-4 | LEMMY | 8.666 ISK
This one is a blingee gif of Guy Fieri on a motorcycle with Garfield in the background flipping you off surrounded by skulls and sparkles. That might not exist, but it’s a vibe and a half. Only in its third edition, LEMMY’s four-day Rokkhátið (“rock festival”) will rock ‘n’ roll all night and party every day. Performers include DIMMA, Sólstafir, The Vintage Caravan, Auðn, and more. Peace and ROKK!
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