Grapevine Events: Vegan Festival, Páll Óskar & The Iceland Symphony Orchestra & More

Looking for weekend plans in Reykjavík? Our advice: start your night with a Páll Óskar & the Iceland Symphony Orchestra show, then head to Hafnarfjörður for a Vegan Festival, and top your weekend off with some good exhibitions. For more events, visit events.grapevine.is.

Páll Óskar & the Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Friday August 16 — 20:00 — Harpa (Eldborg) — 4.900 – 14.900 ISK

By mid-August, the Pride celebrations are winding down and minds are shifting to free waffles on Culture Night. If you are still needing some fabulously proud moments and wonderful music, the legend himself Páll Óskar will join the Iceland Symphony Orchestra yet again! Pairing his high energy pop tunes with bombastic symphonic arrangements, he will play all his biggest hits rearranged with all the drama and glory they deserve. RX

Cranium Album Release Party

Saturday August 17 — 17:00 — 12 Tónar

The year was 1993 and five young whippersnappers were catching the wave of death metal sweeping Iceland. These lads united as the band Cranium and released the album Abduction. Thirty years later, that album is regarded by many in Icelandic music circles as a cult masterpiece, so it is with much excitement that the band has remastered and re-released it. They will now reunite for the very special celebration of this reissue. It will be bloody brutal. RX

Vegan Festival

Sunday August 18 — 13:00-16:00 — Thorsplan, Hafnarfjörður

According to great American philosopher Homer J. Simpson, one cannot make friends through the consumption of salad. But what perhaps didn’t occur to old Homie was that salad is also just a starter in vegan-land! Over at the annual Vegan Festival, you can chow down on all kinds of plant-based goodness, from fresh and light to thick and juicy. Whether you’re already on the cruelty-free path, considering a change, or just an indiscriminate gourmand (as you should be), the family-friendly festival is a perfect place to eat away your Saturday. RX

Konukroppar — A Rural Swimming Pool Experience

Sunday August 18 — 17:00 — Brautartunga — free, donations welcome

Have you ever been to a theatre where you need to bring swimwear? Only in Iceland! This Sunday, the pool in Brauartunga will host a unique performance, that celebrates the female form in all its glory. Women’s Bodies, a play by the performing arts duo Gleym-mér-ei, blends elements of dance and theatre, exploring the relationship between body and water. Afterwards, you can take a dip! IZ

Artists At Work

Runs until August 29 — Phenomenon Gallery

This gallery is one of the most aptly named in Reykjavík. Far beyond just a white box for displaying works, Phenomenon is also a studio space and a storage for its members to keep their works safe and sound. The city supported, artist-run multi-use space celebrates its second anniversary this month and are bringing together their community to show their diverse and cutting edge works. This is where all the cool artists are working, so go see what they’re up to. RX