Grapevine Events: Two Noise Fests, Smátíðni, Reddingakaffi Repairathon, Exhibition Openings & More

Reykjavík hit a scorching 10°C yesterday, setting a new April record. But today? April snow and hail — because of course! The event schedule this weekend is way more predictable than the weather, and we’ve got you covered with our top picks.

Tonight is Smátíðni II, featuring Ann Lemon, Laufkvist and Turturi, who will play Smekkleysa at 20:00. Two noise fests are happening in town, with Þórir Georg throwing RVK Noise Fest at R6013 and a rival Frog Fest organised by artist collective Spider Network.

On Saturday, you can make a whole day of going to gallery openings! At the National Gallery, The Mystery of the Lumpfish and Other Stories of Fakes and Forgeries will open at 14:00, which Iryna Zubenko covered in her latest Ask The Curators. At Kling & Bang, artist Anna Guðjónsdóttir presents HOLLOW SKY HIDDEN OCEAN, which will open at 17:00. And at Listamenn Gallery, Melani Ubaldo’s Unframed opens at 16:00.

After a long day of gallery openings, there are some great editions of some of our favourite concert series. In the 24th in the Straumur concert series, Kraftgalli will play Kaffibarinn on Saturday at 21:00. For Herðum haus at RVK Tónabíó, Kvikindi will play at 20:30.

For those looking to practice their Icelandic, the Reykjavík City Museum is offering a guided tour of the Photography Museum for Icelandic learners. Photography exhibition Stare will be offering a tour of the exhibition in Polish for any Polish-speaking residents.

Last but not least, Stockfish Film & Industry Festival runs till Sunday!

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.

Record Store Day 2025

Saturday, April 12 — Your favourite local record store — All day

Record Store Day is upon us! With events happening throughout town all day, such as Biggi Maus‘ three back-to-back release concerts in three locations, this is a day to show up with money and spend it on the great record shops and musicians that keep our town alive. ISH

Pausing to confront the graveness of the moment before we get back to protesting the U.S. in small ways each day

Saturday, April 12-Sunday, April 13 — 14:00-17:00 — Á milli space — Free

A group of artists in Iceland who hold U.S. citizenship have come together to present Pausing to confront the graveness of the moment before we get back to protesting the U.S. in small ways each day. In solidarity with the “Hands Off” protests that began on April 5 within the U.S. and abroad (including in Iceland), this group of artists and activists are resisting the censorship and authoritarianism scarily rising within the United States. All work is presented anonymously to protect the artists and family they might have within the U.S. ISH

As Long as We Can Imagine it

Opens April 12 — 17:00 — Gallery Kannski — Free

Artists Regn Sólmundur Evu & Kaisa Luukkonen use installation and sculpture to process and protest, and both explore both the personal and the social within their pieces. Regn offers sculpture and video work exploring trans-masculinity, and Kaisa will show glass instruments of protest alongside a disco ball. The title of the exhibition comes from a “freely remembered quote from Lucy Irigaraya: ‘As long as we can imagine it, it is possible.'” This exhibition will run for just a week, so make sure to check it out while it’s up. Opening hours can be found at https://www.gallerykannski.com/. ISH

Reddingakaffi Repairathon

Sunday, April 13 — 13:00 — Grófin City Library — Free

Reddingakaffi is a monthly event where volunteers aid in repairing everything from stereos (as Ish Sveinsson Houle learned in February) to air mattresses to headphones! As we approach Earth Day on April 22, Reddingakaffi hosts a repair-marathon, so, if you have anything broken, gathering dust, bring it by the library and maybe they can give it a new life! ISH

Children’s Culture Festival

Runs till April 13 — All over Reykjavík — Free

The annual Children’s Culture Festival is still on! Art museums, libraries, and performance venues will be offering varied and exciting programmes for the children of Reykjavík. The theme this year is outdoor play, and the anthem will be composed by none other than Inspector Spacetime. The trio was given answers to the question “what does outdoor play mean to you?” from fourth-graders around town, and they’ll be performing the song they came up with at the opening in Harpa. To see the full schedule, visit reykjavik.is. ISH

Reykjavík Early Music Festival

Monday, April 14 to Friday, April 17 — Harpa — Festival passes from 19.900 ISK, individual tickets for sale as well

After a successful first iteration, Reykjavík Early Music Festival is bringing Baroque to the present day once again! Infusing Harpa with the soundscape of past centuries, this four-day festival features both Icelandic and European ensembles. With a variety of instruments, like the Theorbo, Zink, and Lute, the festival offers historically informed early music performance. Join them for the entire festival or individual concert and travel back in time. ISH