Grapevine Events: RVK Pride, The Textile Association 50th Anniversary & More

This weekend is about to pop off! Though two months later than everyone else, Reykjavík is finally getting its Pride on. It’s gonna be a glitter tsunami. We’re talking parades, parties, and enough rainbows to flood the streets with colour. Plus, the Textile Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a special exhibition showcasing the best of the local textile scene over the years.
Read about these and more of our picks for what to do this weekend below. For more events, visit events.grapevine.is.

5 layers of thrust

Friday August 9 — 19:00 — Dansverkstæðið — Free

One thing I personally enjoy about watching historical dramas about NASA missions is how frequently a bunch of middle-aged nerds solemnly say the word “thrust”. My eternally pre-teen brain loves it. In their ongoing residency at Dansverkstæðið studios, dancers Olivia Hild and Lens Kühleitner are using the word “thrust” and its various contexts as the basis of their upcoming work. They welcome the public to come see what all the thrusting is about. RX

Seigla Festival

August 9 – 11 — Harpa — 5.800 – 17.000 ISK, discounts for students, seniors & disabled

Classical music is still largely regarded as stuffy and snobbish, but the Seigla Festival is here to dispel that notion. The three-day event celebrates classical music forms performed by young and vibrant artists bringing fresh approaches to the genre. Presented entirely in Harpa but taking over different spaces, the festival also behaves much more like a popular music festival in its flow, with a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere that welcomes spontaneity and experimentation. If classical music is your bag but you prefer a rock festival, this is just the ticket. RX

Reykjavík Pride Parade

Saturday August 10 — 14:00 — Downtown Reykjavík

Get ready to show your colours and let your flag fly high, cause the best party in Iceland is back! With RVK Pride in full swing already, the official celebrations of LGBTQIA+ life will culminate in the always fabulous, always delightful Pride Parade. In case you didn’t know, this is the most attended public event in Iceland, surpassing even our national day in terms of sheer numbers. And with good reason — it is absolutely fabulous! The parade starts at Hallgrímskirkja and winds around to end at Hljómskálagarður with a huge outdoor concert, headlined, as always, by icon Páll Óskar. RX

Dagsson: No Idea

Monday August 12 — 20:30 — Gaukurinn — Free

Local comedian and cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson is edgy as fuck and doesn’t care whose toes he steps on. But not in that right-wing bootlicking kind of way, more like in the way that triggers that type. Most known for his minimal but deliciously witty comic books and a merch line that goes with it – you have probably seen that rotund stick figure with an itty bitty penis on a tote at Eymundsson – Dagsson will bring his sharp tongue to the Gaukurinn stage. And it’s free! Yay! RX

50/100/55: The Textile Association 50th Anniversary

Runs until August 25 — SÍM Korpúlfsstaðir

Iceland has a long and rich history of textile practices, deeply rooted in the basic need for survival in harsh conditions requiring warm clothes. Those forms of textile manipulation have grown and weaved themselves deeply into Icelandic art, and since 1974 have been supported by the Textile Association. Celebrating their 50th anniversary, 100 works will be shown by 55 textile artists in the historic and impressive Korpúlfsstaðir barn. RX