Instagram vs Reality: How The Digital Age Of Tourism Changed Iceland Forever
Tourism was the unexpected saviour of the Icelandic economy after the financial crisis of 2008, and since then social media platforms like Instagram have facilitated a huge boom in
Let’s Go Camping! Some Of Our Favourite Campsites
Grapevine’s guide on where to pitch your tent this summer The season is here. Grab your sleeping bag, a tent (that you definitely forgot to wash since that festival a […]
Finding Family: The Saga Of “Velkominn Árni”
The winner of this year’s Skjaldborg film festival truly proves the saying “you’re never too old.” The film, “Velkominn Árni,” follows 77-year-old Árni Jón Árnason
Ask An Expert: Why Are Icelandic Horses So Important To Icelanders?
If you have ever driven through the Icelandic countryside, you have likely caught glimpses of majestic Icelandic horses standing in farmers’ fields. Perhaps your first introducti
The Kids Are Alright: Rapper Daniil talks TikTok, leaks and good vibes.
Culture is a strange and amorphous thing, hard to pin down, and driven, often, by the most disenfranchised in society. In particular, young people have always been the harbingers a
The Icelandic Roundup: Lenya Rún – Pirate Party Politician
Valur Grettisson (editor-in-chief) and Josie Anne Gaitens (culture editor) are joined on this week’s podcast by Lenya Rún Taha Karim, deputy MP for The Pirate Party, who was
The Icelandic Roundup: Death at Reynisfjara
Another death has occurred at ‘the black beach’, Reynisfjara, the 4th in recent years. With tourism numbers increasing again, who—if anyone—should be considered res
Track By Track: Lemon Street With Pale Moon
Pale Moon is an intriguing psychedelic rock band comprised of husband-wife duo Árni Guðjónsson and Natalia Sushchenko and signed to Spanish label AU! Records. The handful of sin
Great Moments In Icelandic History: The Smurf Porn Incident
It was on a cold day in January 1992 when an unsuspecting mother rented the newest Smurf Movie for her darling children. The mother found the movie in the rack, […]
The Islanders: Bergvin Oddsson
Bergvin Oddsson rides his tandem bike through the colourful streets of Heimaey, set against the backdrop of green and misty Vestmannaeyjar. Everyone knows him here and as he rides
A Hub Of Activity: Reykjavík Arts Festival Hub Is Back With A Bold New Programme
“The most beautiful thing is when the events unfold. They’ve been in your phone and your excel sheet for so long, but so much of the worry goes away when […]
Fúsk It! Iceland’s Burgeoning Creative Hub
An ideal driven laboratory, a creative platform, a community hub, a playground for creatives, an organic and living concept that is difficult to reduce to one meagre sentence. Howe
Beautiful Beings: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s Second Feature Film
Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s second feature film explores the beauty and harshness of friendship Thinking of an Icelandic movie, you most likely imagine waterfalls, volcanoes,
Islands Of Wonder: Winning The Weather Lottery In Vestmannaeyjar
No matter what the gods have thrown at the Westman Islands (known locally as Vestmannaeyjar)—eruptions, turbulent history, harsh living conditions—it seems only to have strengt
Ask An Expert: Why Isn’t Glass Recycled In Iceland?
The majority of apartment buildings in Reykjavík only have trash bins for mixed waste, plastic, and paper. “Where do wine bottles go?”—wonder those coming from other places.
“Piercing Crawl”: Our Picks For Piercings In Reykjavík
Piercing has been practised around the globe for centuries, and the general public’s opinion has often been controversial. However you feel about it, we at Grapevine think that p
The Equaliser: Haraldur Þorleifsson On Power, Misinformation, And Leveling The Playing Field
Haraldur Ingi Þorleifsson wears many hats. While ostensibly an entrepreneur and businessman who founded the creative technology services company Ueno in 2014 (which was subsequent
The Icelandic Roundup: Planned Mass Deportations
Reykjavík Grapevine’s editor-in-chief, Valur Grettisson, and news editor, Andie Sophia Fontaine, discuss the situation regarding the planned deportation of around asylum see
Perfect Day: Helga Kristín Torfadóttir
Helga is a young Icelandic geologist, specialising in volcanology. She has been working on the most recent eruption in Reykjanes, while studying for her PhD, researching Iceland
Lost In Translation: Pigs Might Bark
Mad scientists have done it again! Several litters of a new, genetically modified, genius breed of barking pigs have been raised and trained to be part of an elite healthcare [&hel