Grapevine’s Best Of 2016: Best Place For Live Music

Looking for a good concert? We got u: here’s our rundown of the three best spots in Reykjavík to catch a live show, taken from our special “Best Of Reykjavík 2016” issue.

Húrra
Tryggvagata 22
Húrra wins this category hands down, with everyone we consulted showering it in praise. Factors for this win include the sound system, which can handle anything from acoustic to ambient to techno to noise; the lighting, which is dynamic and atmospheric; and a great programme of touring bands, album parties, DJ nights and the best local acts. Húrra attracts a young, fashionable (if mostly drunk) crowd, and in addition to the music, it also has a great bar selection. It’s also maybe the only place in Reykjavík that stocks Club Maté.

MENGI
Óðinsgata 2
MENGI is more of an arts space than a bar. It has a formal, attentive atmosphere, and it’s certainly not somewhere you’d go for a casual drink. MENGI offers a thrilling programme gleaned from the more creative end of the musical spectrum, encouraging performers to play collaborative and experimental sets for the rapt, seated audience.

Gaukurinn
Tryggvagata 22
This music venue and watering hole is the third corner in the “bermuda triangle” of bars that also includes Húrra and Frederiksen. It’s reinvented itself many times over the years, but still bears the hallmarks of its rock scene roots. It has a big sound system, good stage lighting, and just the right kind of dinginess for live guitar music of all flavours.

Previous Winners:
2015: Húrra
2014: Cafe Rosenberg
2013: Volta (RIP)

Read more of our Best of 2016 lists here.