So, There’s No Sun Up There In The Winter, Right?
It seems that nearly every conversation I have with overseas family and friends this time of year where Iceland is mentioned ends up with them saying something along the lines [&he
Australian Artist Reclaims Reykjavík’s Rough Walls
Australian artist Guido Van Helten rides up a construction lift at Seljavegur 2 to meet his canvas. The wall he paints is old and slightly corroded, two stories high and […]
Ever Wonder About That Guy In The 66° North Ads?
You’re more likely to spot the 2D version of 29-year old Emil Guðmundsson in Reykjavík than the man himself. The co-owner of Kría Cycles and reluctant model spends most of [&h
Cabbie Confessions
The man is enveloped in an aura of ominousness. He stumbles forward, about to trip and fall at any moment. As he reaches for the handle of the cab door, […]
Drunken Behaviour: Then And Now
(Compiled by Hjördís Erna Þorgeirsdóttir, translated by Tómas Gabríel Benjamin) I the undersigned Þórður Magnússon from Auðsholt deem the ill words that I spoke about th
Could Iceland Qualify For The World Cup?
The rational answer to this article’s titular question is, “Probably not, no.” But rational probability has long since ceased to be a factor. Iceland faces Croatia at Laugard
News In Brief: Late October
With Iceland Airwaves now over, maybe you’ve just returned home from your first trip to Iceland and you’re trying to remember that one place that you saw that one great [&helli
So Who’s This Jón Gnarr I Keep Hearing About?
The boring answer is that he is the mayor of Reykjavík. He has been in the news lately because he announced that he was not seeking re-election in next spring’s […]
Sour Grapes & Stuff: Issue 17
Most Awesome Letter Hej! I was in Reykjavik on the 5th of october and I saw a band playing out on the streets in the middle of the day. At […]
Rehab Nation
In the United States, drug and alcohol rehab is closely tied to celebrity culture. It’s thought to be for people like Amy Winehouse, who died prematurely due to alcohol intoxicat
Welcome To Our Hangover Issue
Welcome to The Reykjavík Grapevine’s first and maybe last “Hangover Issue.” Unfortunately, this issue had to go to the printers directly after the Iceland Airwaves festival.
Lemúrinn: The Dream Of Icelandic Muskoxen
This photograph, taken in August 1929, shows a few muskox calves grazing in Reykjavík’s central Austurvöllur square, which was back then covered in grass. The calves were b
Pancakes And Petticoats
I’m sitting in a cosily cluttered sitting room in Breiðholt, a suburb of Reykjavík about twenty-five minutes from downtown. The coffee table in front of me is spread with cream
Finally (Hopefully) Home
Mazen Maarouf never thought that he would leave Lebanon forever. That changed in November 2011, when it became clear that his future there was on limited time. He left Beirut [&hel
Icelanders Get All Excited About Rock ‘n’ Roll
Dr. Gunni—Iceland’s eminent scholar of rock and pop music—is finally coming out with the long-promised English language version of his super educational, super detailed t
Come And Meet The Members Of The Brand
After being hailed as the world’s radical wunderkind for a few years, Iceland left observers perplexed when the parties evidently responsible for its failed neoliberal experiment
How To Gain Friends & Alienate No One
When Oliver Luckett comes to Iceland to speak at this year’s You Are In Control conference, it’ll be his sixth or seventh time in the country. And while we did […]
So What’s This Beautiful Word Contest I Keep Hearing About?
The Icelandic state broadcaster RÚV and the humanities department of the University of Iceland have launched a contest to find the most beautiful word in the Icelandic language. P
Vinaborgir: Reykjavík’s BFFs Around The World
Positioned as it is smack dab in the middle of the North Atlantic, Iceland could potentially get a bit lonely. But friendly, urbane and well-travelled country that she is, she’s
On Ryan Gosling’s Feet
Perhaps in the local toe-up, babenalysis of Ryan Gosling that surrounded his summer in Iceland, what many truly became inspired by (or infatuated with) were his feet. It is not [&h