6 New Icelandic Bands To Watch Out For At Airwaves
As well as being a monolithic highlight on the city’s festival calendar, Iceland Airwaves also functions as a kind of informal annual survey of what’s good in the Icela
Welcome To Iceland: A Walk-Through Of The Refugee Arrival Process
When Iceland receives new refugees, the Red Cross plays a crucial and central role. Working alongside the various municipalities and government ministries, their mission starts a l
Good Week For Aurora Spotters
The coming of the dark nights heralds the end of summer, but it’s also the time that the flickering aurora becomes visible in the sky over Iceland. Last night, on […]
Corbyn’s UK Win: Another Reminder That Change Is Possible, Possibly Already Happening
In the 20 years that I’ve been eligible to vote, there has been a convergence, from both left and right wing political parties, on the centre ground. The received wisdom, [&helli
“We Have To Do This Together”: Mayor Dagur B. On Acceepting “Hundreds” Of Refugees
In the light of Icelanders’ recent groundswell in favour of accepting more Syrian refugees, Reykjavík’s mayor, Dagur B. Eggertsson, was recently quoted as saying that the city
PHOTOS: Akureyri Town Festival
For a town of around 18,000, Akureyri punches far above its weight when it comes to cultural output. Each year, on the last weekend of August, this peaceful northern Iceland [&hell
Wow! Iceland Qualifies For Euro 2016! ‘Success Is No Fluke’ Say Footie Veterans
Yes! With a goalless draw against Kazakhstan earlier tonight, the Icelandic men’s national football team made history, qualifying for the 2016 UEFA European Championship. Yup
VIDEO: Whale Watching In Reykjavík Harbour
Grapevine’s resident filmmaker Timothée Lambrecq has continued to tour around Iceland over recent weeks. From looking at the working lives of fishermen in the Westfjords to
Being HERE: Using Art To Revitalise Their Town
As the road winds its way around one particularly dramatic section of the Eastfjords towards the remote village of Stöðvarfjörður, one building leaps out from across the narrow
A Shadow In The Dark
Earlier in 2015, at the Sónar Reykjavík festival, a solo musician known simply as Hekla walked out into the dimly lit crucible of Harpa’s Kaldalón theatre. Beginning to play w
VIDEO: A Fishing Nation
Grapevine’s resident videographer Timothée Lambrecq and his brother Camille took a road trip to Ísafjörður recently, hoping to make a film about the day to day lives of I
The Museum Of Hidden Beings
One night in 1846, a trader named Sigtryggur Sigurðsson was walking his usual route home along the beach from Húsavík, when he saw something strange approaching. A large humanoi
VIDEO: The Road To Ísafjörður
Our favourite (only, true – but still favourite) videographer Timothée Lambrecq went on a trip around Iceland with his brother recently. They went all over the country, and
Iceland’s National Sport: Football On The Edge Of The World
On a recent grey and drizzly summer evening, the streets of downtown Reykjavík were oddly empty. But other than the unseasonal weather, there was perhaps another factor in the qui
Björk Cancels Airwaves & Other Festival Dates
Sad news for Björk fans came out today. The singer has cancelled a series of live dates, including the Pitchfork Festival in Paris, La Route Du Rock in France and […]
PHOTOS: Petra’s Stone Collection
Petra’s Stone Collection is a museum of minerals and crystals collected by the late Ljósberg Petra María Sveinsdóttir, who lived in the small town of Stöðvarfjörður, popul
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea: Farao’s New Sound
Kari Jahnsen, aka Farao, sits in a downtown Reykjavík cafe on a typically unsettled Icelandic day. We’re chatting amiably over coffee and watching people slide down Laugavegur t
Go East! A Trip To The Wild And Imaginative Eastfjords
Without fail, a drive across Iceland delivers a sharp shift in perspective from life in more populous places. In fact, one of the oft remarked-upon characteristics of a road trip [
Better Drinking With Mikkeller & Friends
As anyone who frequents Reykjavík’s downtown bar scene will have noticed, Icelandic drinking culture has been undergoing a facelift. Over the past few years, the range of beers