As 2025 comes to a close, we want to thank you for another great year of reading our beloved Grapevine (even if you just read it online)! We’ve got one last article for you before the new year. If you’re looking for New Year’s Eve bonfires to attend, fireworks to see, and sketch shows to watch, we’ve got some recommendations for you. Pop some bubbly, because we’re headed into 2026, baby!
The beloved áramótabrenna — New Year’s Eve bonfire — will happen in 10 locations around Reykjavík this year. All bonfires in Reykjavík will be at 20:30, except for Skerjafjörður, which starts at 21:00. These gatherings offer a moment to reflect on 2025 and welcome 2026. You’ll have to save your exploding for later, as these bonfires don’t permit fireworks set off around them (there are plenty of other places you can find to let those loose).
Atlavík Productions
Áramótaskapið is Iceland’s year-end sketch show, which spends its hour-long run time to recap (and make fun of) the events of the past year. If you’re new to Skaupið or curious about the making of it, our journalist Jóhannes Bjarkason went behind the scenes of the show last month, which you can check out here. In 2023, 81% of the nation was tuned into the show — maybe this year we’ll beat that number. It starts at 22:30 sharp, on RÚV (and on their secondary channel with English subtitles).
Fireworks
After Skaupið ends at 23:30, everyone dashes out to watch the midnight fireworks. Frankly, you’ll be able to see them from just about anywhere: various shores, that hill near your apartment, out your window as your neighbour’s kid sets them off. It’s the great by-product of our ICE-SAR funding fireworks (more about Iceland’s Search and Rescue teams in our December cover feature). But prime seats to the biggest fireworks show are, as always, in front of Hallgrímskirkja.
Happy New Year!
Reykjavík is a bit of a madhouse on New Year’s, and it would take divine powers to tell you if there’s an empty barstool and a bartender waiting to take your order somewhere after midnight. If you’re looking for a party, there’s HE.SHE.THEY x VOLUME, which boasts some of the greatest DJs of the scene. Young G&T man the decks at Kaffibarinn until 04:30, DJ MBK will take over Lebowski bar, and Den Danske Kro offers free champagne for 30 minutes, 00:30-01:00.
Fireworks — pardon my French — create a shit-ton of waste. This year, you can do something about it! On January 1 at 14:00, groups will gather at Hljómskálagarður in Reykjavík, in Laugarnes in Reykjavík, at Kópavogskirkja in Kópavogur, and at Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður to clean up firework residue. More clean-up locations are pending, so stay tuned!
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