What If… The Vikings Had Conquered The World?
What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend of the Grapevine Valur Gunnarsson is applying to eight relevant-to-Iceland historical happenings over as many issues. Ex
Track By Track: TRPTYCH’s “Inner Terrestrial MMXXIII a.D.”
TRPTYCH is the solo project of electronic musician, drummer and designer, Daníel Þorsteinsson. A prolific artist, he has been releasing music — at least once a year — since 2
The Sometimes Unbelievable, Always Remarkable Story of Hotel Borg
Travel doesn’t have to entail hitting the road, hopping on a plane or lacing up your hiking boots to trek into remote destinations. There’s something to be said for the [&helli
Reykjavík, a Music City (At a Respectable Volume)
The past few months have been a headache for Tjarnarbíó. The cultural centre and theatre located in the heart of Reykjavík has been on the receiving end of a number […]
It’s Spa O’Clock — Here’s Where to Get Your Soak On
In the past few years, a particularly entrepreneurial spirit has swept the country, inspiring millionaires of all stripes in the throes of religious epiphanies to begin monetizing
Iceland Disconnected: What if our submarine cables went bust?
It’s something out of a Hollywood blockbuster, or at least a symptom of some global crisis more central to the plot — be it zombie apocalypse, an alien invasion, or […]
The Hits and Misses of Dining in 2022
When I first started to think about what my annual end of the year food retrospective would look like for 2022, I imagined I’d say something along the lines of […]
King of the Mundane: Prins Póló is the Grapevine’s Musician of the Year
The Reykjavík Grapevine’s Musician of the Year, Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson — better known by his stage persona, Prins Póló — died on the 29th of September, 2022. He was
Snowmobiling in the Home of the White Walkers
Do you remember that famous saying by Ned Stark in Game of Thrones? “Winter is coming.” Well, I can tell you with certainty that winter is not coming — winter […]
Friendships In Vesturbær Are At Stake
In the age of smartphones, our most personal secrets are often stored away in apps, folders, and notes on our devices. But what would happen if all of that sensitive […]
Ask an Expert: What Influences the Strength of the Northern Lights?
The magical beauty of the northern lights draws lots of people to Iceland. In fact, a whole lot of people plan their entire trips around the forecasted activity. So when […]
Track by Track: Hekla, “Xiuxiuejar”
Theremin virtuoso Hekla’s album ‘Xiuxiuejar’ was released in September 2022 has just been named Album of the Year in the 2023 Grapevine Music Awards. Why? Well, it’s brilli
What The News!? Young Icelanders Keep Living At Home
Breaking news: fewer young adults than ever are living at home with their parents … but also more young adults than ever are living at home? How can that be? […]
You Should Have Read This Music News
Artist Salaries Announced For 2023 Last month saw the publication of the list of artists who are to receive the coveted ‘Artist Salary’ funding from the Icelandic state. The gr
The Islanders: Alexandra “Grim Creeper” Ingvarsdóttir
As she zips around the rink, expertly dodging opponents and executing precise turns, it’s clear that Alexandra Ingvarsdóttir is a force to be reckoned with. Co-captain of Ro
Holy Shit! It’s The 2023 Grapevine Music Awards!
What will 2022 be remembered for? If 2020-2021 were “the lost years,” where artists went insular and mused on solitude and resilience, then 2022, in comparison, was the year of
Blue Skies and Lumbering Whales: Landlubber finds whale watching heaven
It was a cold, crisp November day. The sea was mostly still and, even rarer for Iceland in autumn, the sky almost completely blue. Hallgrímskirkja, lording over Reykjavík city, b
Fresh Perspective Of Immigrant Writers
Tired of the same old established writer telling you the same story in different words again and again? Well, we have something new for you—you ungrateful and ever-demanding bast
“This is not a comedy podcast!“
“I didn’t want to be like a normal person and just ask my comedian friends to hang out. I want the attention, so I decided I needed cameras and microphones,” […]
Poems In A Glitter Jumpsuit
Or the fine art of failing in a tragi-comical way according to PPBB If there is one thing in Iceland that is certain, it is that word on the street […]