How To Halloween In Reykjavík: A Spooky Guide

Cue the chorus of spooky “Ooooooh!” Halloween has arrived, so get your best slutty Joker costume ready. Here’s where to celebrate in Reykjavík.

Halloween Iceland 2019
October 26th – 21:00 – Gaukurinn – 2,000 ISK
Halloween Iceland’s annual Halloween party is a Reykjavík institution, drawing all the ghouls of out from their caverns, cages, coffins and comas. But listen here: No costume, no entry. And that means no shitty costumes like dressing completely normal and calling yourself a “serial killer.” That’s stupid. Stop by early for a ‘treat’—which we assume means a bottle of True Blood—but make sure to arrive by midnight for the costume contest. It’s a legendary affair that people often prepare for months in advance. So try your hardest—if you’re an immortal vampire, you’ll keep the bragging rights forever.

The Haunting Of IÐNÓ
November 1st – 18:00 – IÐNÓ – 5,000 ISK
This escape room-cum-haunted house-cum-spooky concert is probably the most ambitious Halloween get-together that Iceland has ever seen. Here’s the low-down: Come with a group of sinister pals. Enter an eerie horror story where you and your group must walk through a maze and discover the riddles of this old building. You’ve got 30 minutes to figure out the mystery, try to not pee your pants, and escape with your life. Afterwards, head downstairs for a drink and a selection of spooky live acts.

Power Tools Pumpkin Carving
October 31st – 18:00 – Reykjavík Tool Library – 2,000-3,500 ISK
Halloween as a phenomenon has only just started to catch on in Iceland, so unfortunately you won’t find many Jack-O’-Lanterns—those spooky carved pumpkins you see in American movies—in the city. Never fear, dear goblins, for the Reykjavík Tool Library is opening up their closet of heavy duty power tools so you too can carve your own pumpkin just like Rambo would. Included in the price is a teeth-numbing amount of candy, two beers/soft drinks, one pumpkin, and a screening of some awful Halloween D-list horror flick. Pro-Tip: Steal the power tools and start murdering people like a true Halloween fan. [Editor’s Note: Please don’t.]

Halloween Horror Show 2019
October 26th – 21:00 – Háskólabíó – 6,990 ISK
If you want to see Icelandic “celebrities” perform “spooky songs”—listed are “Highway To Hell,” “Thriller,” and for some reason, “Zombie”—the Halloween Horror Show will be the flesh to your werewolf. The ads for the high-production show are delightfully cheesy. Think ghost noises, fake blood, colour contacts, and some seriously spooky set-design. We assume this’ll be a “fun for the whole family” deal, but we can’t promise anything. Costumes are encouraged and the best will get a prize. We recommend dressing like Svala as she’ll be performing. Maybe she’ll finally acknowledge you.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Sing-A-Long Screening
October 25th – 20:00 – Bíó Paradís – 1,600 ISK
Come on, weirdos, let’s do the Time Warp again! Bíó Paradís gifts us a Halloween sing-a-long screening of the 1975 cult classic ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ And if you thought Tim Curry was good in ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’, just wait until you see him in fishnets and stilettos as Dr. Frank N. Furter. Please get ready to sing and come dressed in costume (and if that costume is completely inappropriate for most settings, you’re on the right track)—trust us, you’ll feel much more at home and in touch with your inner Rocky. We know you are twitching with antici…

…pation.