RVK Newscast 172: A Record-Breaking Winter

Welcome back to RVK Newscast! Today Grapevine editor-in-chief, Valur Grettisson, takes us on a wintery walk around his neighbourhood to discuss snow, the Icelandic movie industry, the EU and chess. Check out the full description for links and information! The Icelandic MET office has announced that this February was the snowiest on record for 20 years. March has continued in the same vein, with snowstorms across the country – and more forecasted. Read our latest weather coverage here.

OR check out The Icelandic Roundup for a weekly weather update here.

There has been an increase in the number of film and TV productions being shot in Iceland. American reality TV show ‘The Bachelor’ recently filmed some scenes in Iceland, and it’s thought that this may encourage more tourists to visit the country. A survey recently conducted by Gallup shows that support for Iceland joining the EU is at its highest for 12 years. As of March 2022, 14% said they completely support Iceland joining; 13% were very supportive and 20% were rather supportive, for a total of 47%. 33% were opposed to joining the EU to any degree, with 20% having no opinion. Read more here.

The Icelandic Chess Federation is seeking to raise 200 million ISK to put on an event to celebrate 50 years since the historic chess match between Boris Spasský and Bobby Fischer. The event will take place in October and will be attended by chess superstar Magnús Carlsen. A new documentary about the Geldingadalur volcano, Fire & Iceland, will be premiered at Bíó Paradís on Saturday at 18:30. The film was directed by April Anderson and Martin Chytil and features Icelandic artists GDRN – as well as our own Valur! The documentary can also be found on Amazon Prime. More information here.

Listen to The Icelandic Roundup, the new weekly podcast from Josie Anne and Valur! Episode two was released today, and you can find it on Spotify or online here.

Want to try ‘Eitt Sett’, the Icelandic candy Valur loves? You can buy it in our store! We have over 60 kinds of Icelandic candy available online. Iceland has totally unique chocolates and candies that are only sold here, but you can have them delivered straight to your door and try them for yourself.

If you love learning about Icelandic news and culture, consider supporting Reykjavík Grapevine by becoming a Youtube Member. Our Members help us create content such as this video, and also get access to great perks as a reward for their patronage. WINE+ members get access to all of our non-news videos ahead of general release, including receiving each new episode of Supernatural Iceland a month ahead of the rest! Find out more here.

The newscast is made possible with the help of our friends at Einstök Beer.