Update: As noted in the Icelandic Stock Exchange, at 11:08 the Icelandic Aircraft Mechanics Association (FVFÍ) ended their strike. Icelandair flights are expected to resume.  The government met this morning to pass a law to require the Icelandic Ai...

A boy was injured by a used syringe at Laugarnesskóli elementary school in central Reykjavík on Monday. Principal Björn Gunnlaugsson notified parents on September 22, 2026, by email, stating: “A syringe needle was found on school grounds and unf...

Summer in Iceland used to be work 24/7. Before modernity, this was the time of year to make hay, to gather provisions for the cold, long winter. Our ancestors could squeeze in long hours in that season because the latitude provides ample sunlight, an...

I am dressed in an old hoodie and cargo trousers, a reflective vest, and tall rubber boots. Clothed in the same attire are Jóhann, Davíð, and Arianne. We are in a small white car heading south on Route 1, the Ring Road, approaching Pétursey at 50...

It’s nearly RIFF o’clock once again in this great city, so we hope you’re ready to trade the little screen for the big one. Most of the Reykjavík International Film Festival’s screenings will take place at Háskolabíó, although you can cat...

In the silence of Fljótsdalur, where green summer meadows stretch towards Lake Lagarfljót and mountains close the horizon like theatrical scenery, the remains of a monastery lie almost level with the earth. A few outlines of old walls, paths and si...

Today, whenever a large enough scandal breaks, there will inevitably follow calls for it to be investigated, and not just investigated but properly investigated. “Þetta þarf að rannsaka!” people say, “This must be investigated!” The verb r...

Solo travelers to a foreign land often ponder their future, or escape a relationship. Sometimes horny Gen-Zers and Millennials revel in online dating’s anonymity to indulge in one-night stand/s.  Anorgasmia: All the Things We Do to Survive opens w...

You know the rules. Name that sheep. Tell us the name of this specific sheep. Email us at sheep@grapevine.is. If you get the right name, and you’re in Iceland, you win a hot dog, made in part with sheep. One guess per email address please. Not in I...

Every creator, publisher, writer and musician over 30 seemed present at a packed Háskólabíó to watch composer, keyboardist, jazz musician, classicist, beat maker, film scorer, and master producer Magnús Jóhann celebrate his 30th birthday. This ...

In 1995 I was turning 17 and had plans to attend Þjóðhátíð í Eyjum – a notoriously boozy outdoor festival in Vestmannaeyjar – with two of my friends. Plans which my mother disapproved of. However, at the time, people turned legally compete...

Reykjavík locals love to complain about how tourism has taken over downtown, with puffin shops replacing stores of actual utility, but the truth is, it isn’t all bad. The tourism industry has brought us a thriving restaurant scene, and some of the...

The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin editor Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and cont...

Driving through a deliberately out-of-focus countryside, an old man in a wool sweater tells his adult son that “you don’t know what you got until it’s gone.” The implication being that the son, who is pondering voting for EU talks, would regr...

Produced and recorded entirely from the bedroom, Una Mist released her debut album KUÐUNGUR on September 1. Glitchy electronics, introspective lyrics and a DIY attitude. More and more young artists mix and produce on their laptop at home, instead of...

On September 10, 2026, RÚV reported that Bjarni Benediktsson received a telephone call from President Elect Donald Trump stating an intent to make Iceland a 51st US state. We have reported that here. For contact, here is a detailed history of Bjarni...

The EU referendum is over; now it’s time for the hangover. And this nastiest of campaigns has exposed critical financial regulation oversight that the government failed to address. On August 12th, less than three weeks before the vote, Minister of ...

“What does ‘vonandi’ mean?” I ask my five-year-old son, pausing reading our Icelandic bedtime story. His head is on my shoulder, as he and his younger brother nuzzle into me. “Vonandi? That means like…” He trails off, which means that h...

Jón Gnarr served as Mayor of Reykjavík from 2010 to 2014. He is currently a member of the Althing for Viðreisn. In addition to his political career, Jón Gnarr is a profoundly influential comedian, actor, and author. His most recent TV show is Fel...

September 7 was another busy day for U.S. President Trump. The leader of the free world capped off a 100-post weekend on his social media platform by creating an international incident with Iceland. Among posts that included one claiming that the moo...

To me, Icelandic designer Sævar Markús Óskarsson has always borne a striking resemblance to a young Yves Saint Laurent. There is the floppy ’60s mop of hair, the immaculate tailoring on his tall frame, the black turtleneck and, invariably, a pai...

If you listen to Icelandic music, you listen to Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson, stage name Magnús Jóhann. This goes for any genre. The greatest, most revered rapper in the country, Birnir, his key lick is a Magnús Jóhann lick. Looking for swaggering ...

World-renowned Polish tango group Bandonegro comes to Gamla Bió Sunday night, September 13, for the first time at the invitation of Tangófélagið, the local tango club that meets twice a week on Mondays at IÐNÓ and Fridays at Kramhús. Check det...

Recently a video went viral of Maggie Gyllenhaal during the inaugural press conference of the Venice Film Festival. Prompted by the question why there were only two women directors out of 20 selected for competition, Gyllenhaal, as the president of t...

When I read the song titles on Þórir Georg’s new release, Cheer Up, I worried he was having an emotional crisis. “Hell or High Water,” “The Devils,” “The Blood,” “The Dark,” — these all seemed daunting. First, rest assured, thes...

The Shakespeare of our age, Dav Pilkey, who writes Dog Man and Captain Underpants, created another indelible character, The Fair Fairy. Set on an imagined television show, the Fair Fairy attempts to regulate children’s arguments by finding what chi...

On November 26, four days before Iceland's 2024 parliamentary elections, then-Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson was greeted by a phone call when he entered his home. It was President-elect Donald Trump. This unusual phone call came with an unusual s...

The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Grapevine journalist Elías Þórsson, and Grapevine friend and contrib...

Gerard Butler, Bubbi, Michael Brook & Infinite Guitar, Björk's infamous TV appearance in the 80's and so on. Director Jón Einarsson Gústafsson's latest movie Anorgasmia: All the Things We Do To Survive opens in Bíó Paradís on September 1...

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir publicly chided the actions of President Trump today. Speaking today to the local press regarding an AI map President Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday, September 7, 2026, she stated: "It is an insult to Ic...

On September 7, 2026, at 22:00, Northern Lights were clearly visible from the heart of Reykjavík. The Icelandic Meteorological Service Aurora Forecast states the current likelihood is four on a scale of 0 to 9. Tomorrow night promises a higher likel...

“Gird up now thy loins like a man,” said God to Job. Of all the Biblical phrases, few are as mysterious and bewitching, and above all, fun to say. What meaning does “loin” hold? If you gird them for more than four hours, should you consult a ...

You know the rules. Name that sheep. Tell us the name of this specific sheep. Email us at sheep@grapevine.is. If you get the right name, and you’re in Iceland, you win a hot dog, made in part with sheep. One guess per email address please. Not in I...

“That autumn there came an agitation and a plague brought on by an evil spirit or a ghost… it seemed to rush down into their throats, so that they were seized by violent belching and a great swelling… It afflicted those women who were still vir...

Weeks of dark omens. The sky went dark and day turned to night. Horses were observed walking on their hind legs. Dark-clad men, unknown persons all, were heard speaking in the long-dead Ostrogothic tongue. At the Grapevine building, our in-house econ...

Time caught up to me at this year’s Menningarnótt in ways I wasn’t expecting. The annual culture festival/Reykjavík birthday celebration has been a big part of this magazine for more than 20 years. In my first editorial run, we worked closely w...

Finally the referendum is over. While this is written before the votes have been counted, we can pass some preliminary judgement on how Iceland as a society and as a democracy fared. In short, not well. Icelanders are collectively suffering from refe...

Icelanders call the roof box for storage that sits on top of the car the “tengdamamma box” or the “mother-in-law box.” The place where the mother-in-law is supposed to travel, rather than sit in the car with everyone else. Now, jokes about in...

On Saturday 29 August Iceland held a referendum on whether or not to restart negotiations with the EU on joining that entity. The result was that 52,8% of the voters, 118.040 people, said no, and 47,2% or 105.339 people, voted yes. The vote was broug...

From a tiny island restaurant that captured the world’s imagination to a geothermal retreat in South Iceland, one of Iceland’s most celebrated chefs is once again redefining Icelandic cuisine.

In a press release from Sýn to the Icelandic Stock Exchange, the largest private media company in the country announced it was ceasing its TV news effective tonight, August 31, 2026.  "A diverse group of outstanding reporters, production staff and ...

In the wake of a stunning defeat on the international stage, we revisit our cover story with Kristrún Frostadóttir. As readers will note, and to our surprise at the time, Kristrún stated in September 2025 that joining the European Union was not he...

During the recent municipal elections, we noticed some of the great local civic accomplishments weren’t celebrated — or seemingly even noticed. For example, the local libraries. Throughout the summer, we’ll highlight the more notable programmes...

Arriving at the echolalia festival feels like entering a competition of who is best dressed against the rain. Raincoats with octopus heads, reindeer antlers, masks made of algae and huge flower headwear all make an appearance. A friend jokes that it ...

The Nordic Noir – for reasons that are completely beyond me – has become an increasingly popular genre in recent years. I reckon it is a combination of the perceived coldness of the Nordic countries and the associated chill, both figurative and l...

Reykjavík may be one of Europe’s smallest capitals, but when it comes to coffee, it punches well above its weight. Icelanders rank among the world’s biggest coffee drinkers, and cafés are woven into the rhythm of everyday life. Whether it’s a...

On Thursday, August 27, 2026, the Áfram Ísland movement held a rally at 17:00 at Austurvellir. If you’ve been living in Reykjavík, you’ll have seen Áfram Íslands ads everywhere. “Nei, takk!” is their slogan. Even though the meaning of �...

Based on her comments in Reykjavík meeting minutes, we requested an op-ed from city councilor Silja Sóley Birgisdóttir.

Recently Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, the CEO of the video game company Fenris Creations, creator of EVE Online, made headlines as he came out as an anti-EU spokesperson. The formerly outspoken supporter of Iceland’s EU membership claimed the country ...

If you had one hour to do something related to birdlife, what would you do? Find a local green space and open your ears? Feed gulls by the harbour? Build a birdhouse? For the past few weeks, I have been trying to answer a version of that question mys...