Iceland Monitor
Thu, 11 Dec 2025 11:15:00 +0000Not this bleak since the pandemic
Sentiment in the Icelandic economy has taken a marked turn for the worse, according to the results of a regular survey conducted by Gallup for the Central Bank of Iceland and the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA). More than half — 54% o...
Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:20:00 +0000Iceland will not participate in Eurovision
The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) has decided not to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, next year.
Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000Opera legend Plácido Domingo announces concert in Iceland
Opera singer Plácido Domingo will give a concert in Eldborg, Harpa, on 9 March next year, with ticket sales beginning on 16 December.
Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:27:00 +0000Transmission towers collapsed on Fjarðarheiði
Several transmission towers collapsed on Fjarðarheiði during the night. Conditions on the heath are poor, and repairs will take some time.
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000MP sounds alarm on drug use: People have no idea what theyre taking
Grímur Grímsson, MP for The Liberal Reform Party, says the high demand for narcotics in Icelandic society comes as no surprise. Government measures to respond to the situation are underway, and the MP says that several bills on Parliament’s ag...
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000Five Russian ships draw the attention of the Coast Guard
Five Russian ships caught the attention of the Icelandic Coast Guard yesterday morning as they were fishing just outside Iceland’s exclusive economic zone.
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:49:00 +0000Yellow weather warnings issued across the country
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000Cocaine use in Iceland is largely sustained by working professionals
Ævar Pálmi Pálmason, deputy superintendent in the investigative division of the Capital Area Police, says it is thought-provoking how strong the demand for drugs such as cocaine has become in Icelandic society.
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 18:12:07 +0000Skaftá flood has begun
A small Skaftá glacial outburst flood began during the night before Sunday. This is confirmed by Sigríður MagneaÓskarsdóttir, natural hazard specialist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), in a conversation with mbl.is.
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:30:00 +0000Icelandic customs reports two major drug finds on ferry in November
“This shows that we’ve become quite skilled at our work,” says Páll Svansson, deputy chief customs officer at the Icelandic Customs Service, following the announcement of two major drug seizures onboard the Norræna ferry last month.
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:02:00 +0000Largest November on record
A total of 347 thousand passengers flew with Icelandair in November, a 15% increase year-on-year. The strongest growth was among passengers departing Iceland and those transiting through the country on transatlantic journeys. Seat occupancy reache...
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000The Rift unveils toughest course yet: 330 km across Fjallabak
A new ultra-distance route will debut in this year’s edition of the The Rift cycling race, requiring competitors to ride a full 330 km through the Fjallabak region. Only 30 riders will be offered entry, and participation is limited to those with...
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 11:41:00 +0000Man in his thirties detained in connection with homicide
A man in his thirties was arrested earlier this week in connection with the Capital Area Police investigation into a homicide in Kópavogur last weekend, when a man in his forties was found dead in a private residence in the town.
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 11:50:00 +0000Two earthquakes over magnitude three near Hamarinn
Two earthquakes exceeding magnitude three occurred east of Hamar in Vatnajökull shortly after ten o’clock this morning.
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:30:00 +0000Crisis team activated: Community in deep grief
“The community in Seyðisfjörður— and indeed across East Iceland — is devastated after the tragedy, the fatal accident that occurred on Fjarðarheiði,” says Reverend ÞorgeirArason, parish priest of the Egilsstaðir parish, in an interv...
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000Young and old enjoyed themselves on the slopes
The first opening day of Hlíðarfjall in Akureyri was yesterday, with the lower part of the ski area open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:07:00 +0000Says the ministers claims do not match the findings
Hjalti Ólafsson, one of the authors of the social and economic analysis by the University of Akureyri Research Centre on tunnel options in East Iceland, states that the profitability of both the Fjarðarheiði Tunnel and the Fjarðagöng tunnels ...
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 18:11:00 +0000Principal of Borgarholtsskóli dismissed
Minister of Education GuðmundurIngiKristinsson has decided to advertise the position of principal of Borgarholtsskóli as vacant, thereby allowing the current principal’s term to expire without extension — contrary to customary practice, unle...
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:49:00 +0000Express tremendous disappointment
The executive council of Múlaþing expresses tremendous disappointment that the Fjarðarheiði Tunnel has been pushed further back in the queue of upcoming tunnel projects in Iceland, and has requested an urgent meeting with the constituency’s ...
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000Photos: The spirit of Christmas filled the City Theatre
The spirit of Christmas swept over the Reykjavík City Theatre yesterday when students from the dance school Óskandi performed the classic ballet The Nutcracker.