A Summer Blockbuster?
With production on a cinematic scale, Secret Solstice prepares for liftoffFredrik Ólafsson, the man behind the Secret Solstice festival, is a tricky man to pin down. A short while
Akureyri: Home Comforts And Cosmopolitan Culture
A Weekend of Art, Food, Music, and Culture in AkureyriAkureyri, located on Iceland’s longest fjord, Eyjafjörður, is often referred to as Iceland’s second city, or “the capi
Blue Sky Thinking
Ragnheiður Harpa Leifsdóttir Ushers Her Dreams Into ExistenceDeciding on a finale for a festival whose theme is ‘art as a living process’ must have been something of
Not Finished
Nestled between two fancy restaurants on Lækjargata is an impressive white house that overlooks the town pond, with a castellated tower called “Gimli.” It´s oddly discreet fo
From Heavenly Lakes to Hell’s Gates: Seeing Northern Iceland
A daytrip to Mývatn in Iceland’s snowy NorthSeeing Iceland from the air can be an astounding experience. From the soft blue-grey washes of coastal estuaries and floodwater plain
Everything In A Cake
The phrase “allt í köku” is one of the Icelandic language’s many interesting, old-fashioned aphorisms. It roughly translates as “everything in a cake,” and while that m
Icelandic Art, If There Is Such A Thing
On the ground floor of a grey apartment building, across from Reykjavík’s old harbour, around the corner from the Reykjavík Art Museum, and a five minute walk from the heart [&
Björk-Fronted Campaign Raises 35 Million ISK For Environment
Harpa played home to three big names from the world arts stage yesterday when Björk, Darren Aronofsky and Patti Smith joined two Icelandic conservation agencies to launch the ‘S
Just Another Snake Cult
Cupid Makes A Fool Of MeJust Another Snake Cult’s ‘Cupid Makes A Fool Of Me’ could be described as a concept album on the theme of love. But if the […]
Björk, Aronofsky And Nature Associations To Throw Nature Benefit Gig
An environmental benefit concert was announced yesterday with Björk and director Darren Aronofsky as the figureheads. Entitled “Stopp—Let’s Protect the Park,” the event wi
The Reykjavík Folk Festival Has Announced Its Schedule
This folkie annual gathering takes place at KEX next week, from the March 6 to 8. The lineup features twelve artists and aims to celebrate the depth of Iceland’s folk […]
Eyrarrós Celebrates Culture Projects From All Around Iceland
At the Skaftfell Arts Centre in Seyðisfjörður, people interested in Icelandic art and culture gathered together recently to find out which regional projects would receive recogn
Premiering HE
Högni Egilsson Shows His TeethHögni Egilsson is a busy man. He arrives at Hotel Borg’s cocktail bar in relaxed and confident form, straight off the back of a photo shoot, [&hel
Welcome to the Grapevine’s Second Ever Annual Music Awards, Ever!
Here at Reykjavík Grapevine we love little more than chit-chatting and shit-shooting about Icelandic music. There’s rarely a moment in the office when there isn’t some new alb
Northern Comfort
It seems fair to say that most forms of entertainment value a certain sense of drama. From Shakespeare to Wuthering Heights to Citizen Kane to Arcade Fire, situations and stories [
Harpa Hypnotised by Philip Glass
Philip Glass ÉtudesAn étude from the French for “study”, is a short, often highly challenging piece designed to expand the playing technique of a musician. This often involve
Meet The Venue: Harpa
Over the years, Sónar has become internationally recognised for curating cutting-edge live line-ups, but here at the Icelandic edition there’s another big star at the core o
Home To The Loneliest Hotel In The World
Djúpavík, like many places in the Westfjords of Iceland, feels close to the edge of the world. Formerly a busy fishing town, the herring processing plant that dominates the area
The Haunting Of Bastardgeist
If one were to imagine what a band named Bastardgeist might sound like, certain styles come to mind. Maybe some punishing noise, or mutant grindcore, or dark, doomy metal. So [&hel
Nolo: Human
A short but sweet LP of lo-fi earworms Prolific synth-pop duo Nolo have been quietly amassing a catalogue of self-recorded singles, EPs and albums since their formation in 2009. Th