Grapevine Events: Global Book Crawl, BSÍ, Queer Comedy & More

Despite being the first overcast day in what feels like eternity, it is still 10° today and officially summer. Reykjavík is abuzz with literary events, concerts, and exhibitions as always, and we’ve got our picks for you to check out this weekend.

Tonight, 12 Tónar is spinning an evening of Japanese music that begins at 20:00. Moulin Rouge is Bíó Paradís’s Party Screening of the week, Sandrayati performs delicate and thoughtful music at Mengi, and Hercules & Love Affair play a gig at a new venue, Austurbær (former Austurbæjarbíó) at 22:00.

On Friday and Saturday, design shop Kirsuberjatréð is hosting a fundraising exhibition for the Women’s Shelter (Kvennaathvarf) in Reykjavík. Donated art prints and small art objects will be available for sale, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Kvennaathvarf.

On Saturday, electronic internet radio DRIF will be at their new home of Smekkleysa from 15:00-18:00, with 2025 Grapevine Music Awards winners Amor Vincit Omnia (Ones To Watch) and DJ Melerito de Jeré of Xiupill (Best Live Act) broadcasting together from 15:00-17:00.

Looking for more? Just scroll down. Got an event? Add it to the calendar at events.grapevine.is, or check out what’s already happening around town.

Performance With Anne Carson

Friday, April 25 — 19:00 — Iðnó — Free

As part of Reykjavík International Literature Festival (as covered by Grayson Del Faro in our last issue), beloved poet Anne Carson will offer a performance from The Albertine Workout. A work summarising her research on Albertine, the principal love interest of Marcel in Proust’s Á la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time), The Albertine Workout consists of fifty-nine paragraphs, with appendices. Join Anne Carson and RILF for an evening of poetry and performance. ISH

Global Book Crawl

Until Sunday, April 27 — Participating Bookstores — Free

The Global Book Crawl has reached Iceland! A yearly celebration of bookstores around the world, in this edition Kanínuholan, Bókumbók, Garg, Skálda, Bókin, and The Old Bookstore will be participating. Grab a passport from one of these bookstores and make your way around town — those who visit all six shops and complete their passports can email globalbookcrawl@skaldabokabud.is for a chance to win a big prize! Join the festivities and uplift the bookstores that nourish our town. ISH

The Shape of Slowness

Runs until Sunday, April 27 — SÍM Gallery — Free

Artists participating in the SÍM Residency exhibit their work through the weekend at their space on Hafnarstræti. Within this exhibition, these artists collectively ask the question: “What happens when we slow down – not just as artists, but as humans in relation to land, sound, time, and each other?” On Saturday at 18:00, transmedia artist, composer and sound designer Ernst Lima offers SONIC INTERVENTION, a musical set inspired by Icelandic weather and landscape. ISH

Herðum haus: BSÍ

Saturday, April 26 — 20:30 — RVK Tónabíó — Free

“Punk-krútts” BSÍ are back and ready to perform! Julius is coming off scoring Oscar-winning No Other Land, and Silla from a string of international performances, and the two promise that the bus-terminal-band will be releasing music this year! Check them out in one of the hottest venues at one of the hottest concert series in town this Saturday night. ISH

Is This North?

Runs till Sunday, April 27 — The Nordic House — Free

What is North? Do we think about the North solely from the perspective of our own position in the world? What does it take to be an artist living and working in the North? Are there any common threads that connect these regions? These are just a few of the questions explored in the exhibition Is This North?, on view at the Nordic House till Sunday. IZ

Queer Belonging!

Thursday, May 1 — 20:30 — Salurinn — Tickets from 3.300kr

For its third iteration, Belonging? returns to Salurinn and is now queerer than ever! Hosted by Sindri “Sparkle” Freyr, comedians Gógó Starr, Joy, Kat Bailey, Linda, and Lovísa Lára offer their stories of the funny, strange and beautiful parts of queer life in Iceland. Belonging?’s first two shows sold out, so we recommend you jump on this opportunity to buy tickets before they’re all gone. ISH