The Reykjavík Grapevine

Latin for the act of speaking in tongues, Glossolalia continues multi-hyphenate artist Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir’s years-long exploration of language as a means of artistic expression.

Jóhannes Bjarkason caught...
https://grapevine.is/music/2025/01/17/speaking-in-tongues-asta-fanneys-glossolalia/

From Iceland — Grapevine Events: Icelandic Photography Festival, Last Chance To See Jónsi's FLÓÐ & Much More On the weekend events lineup: Christmas markets of all shapes and sizes, weird music and more.

If you've been sleeping on Jónsi's exhibition over at Hafnarhús, you had better wake up: this weekend is your last chance to experience it.

Here are some other hot happe... https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/17/grapevine-events-icelandic-photography-festival-last-chance-to-see-jonsis-flod-much-more/

From Iceland — Every Reykjavík Swimming Pool Rainbow Certified Every single one of Reykjavík’s swimming pools have received the rainbow certification, as reported by a press release sent by...

Three cheers for Reykjavík's public swimming pools, which are all now rainbow certified! https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/17/every-reykjavik-swimming-pool-rainbow-certified/

From Iceland — Thank God for French Cinema The French Film Festival brings a certain je ne sais quoi back to Bíó Paradís  Back in the dark ages...

Oh la la! The French Film Festival runs January 17 to 26 at Bíó Paradís. Valur Gunnarsson runs through some of the French flicks on offer. https://grapevine.is/icelandic-culture/movies-theatre/2025/01/16/thank-god-for-french-cinema/

From Iceland — Several Absentee Ballots Not Delivered To Tally Stations A delivery containing up to 25 absentee votes for the Alþingi election last November was not transferred to its corresponding...

No everyone's votes were tallied after the Nov. 30 election and at least two parties would like to speak with your manager about it. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/16/several-absentee-ballots-not-delivered-to-tally-stations/

From Iceland — Independence Party Confirms National Conference Dates The Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn (Independence Party) commission has confirmed the dates for its upcoming national conference. The party’s next leader is expected...

Who will take the reins from Bjarni Ben as the Independence Party's top dog? All will be revealed at the party's upcoming conference. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/16/independence-party-confirms-national-conference-dates/

“We were all kids in the 80s when [Vigdís Finnbogadóttir] was president. She was very influential on our generation — on my generation,” director and actor Björn Hlynur Haraldsson told Ir...
https://grapevine.is/icelandic-culture/movies-theatre/2025/01/15/vigdis-the-making-of-the-nations-role-model/

From Iceland — Tourists Rescued After Cars Nearly Submerged On Holtavörðuheiði Two cars of tourists got into trouble last night while travelling up Holtavörðuheiði. A large section of the road flooded...

Iceland's search and rescue teams — all volunteer, it bears mentioning! — are literal lifesavers, as a bunch of tourists learned firsthand last night. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/15/tourists-rescued-after-cars-nearly-submerged-on-holtavorduheidi/

From Iceland — Powerful Earthquake Swarm In Bárðarbunga, Scientists Are Cautious The Civil Protection Department has declared an uncertainty level due to a powerful earthquake swarm that began in Bárðarbunga shortly...

Scientist are on alert after a powerful earthquake swarm on Tuesday hinted an eruption could be imminent — and it's a long ways from Reykjanes. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/15/powerful-earthquake-swarm-in-bardarbunga-scientists-are-cautious/

"There is a world of microbes around us that is very different from one place to another." Brewers Kjartan Óli Guðmundsson and Sveinn Steinar Benediktsson are capturing the wild tastes of Iceland in every bottle of the...
https://grapevine.is/mag/interview/2025/01/14/your-favourite-place-in-a-glass/

From Iceland — Video Premiere: “Serious Damage” By Sin Fang Long-standing friend of the Grapevine and indie sadboy gone composer Sin Fang is out with a new video. Releasing the...

This is not a drill, people! A new Sin Fang video is premiering right here on the Grapevine! https://grapevine.is/music/2025/01/14/video-premiere-serious-damage-by-sin-fang/

From Iceland — Infirm Child To Be Deported From Iceland ÚTL has denied an appeal to postpone the deportation of a Venezuelan family, despite a scheduled surgery for a three-year old girl in the party.

The Directorate of Immigration has another unwell child to boot from the country. What a crack team they have there at ÚTL. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/14/infirm-child-to-be-deported-from-iceland/

Kópavogur has everything resident Pétur Eggertsson wants — except concerts. Ish Sveinsson Houle caught up with the curator of Kátt á línunni bout bringing more music to local haunt Catalína.
https://grapevine.is/music/2025/01/13/just-outside-the-city-limits/

From Iceland — Five Arrested In Armed Operation In Akureyri Police in Northeast Iceland arrested five individuals on January 12 during an operation in Akureyri’s Glerárhverfi neighbourhood

Iceland's armed special forces unit was out in force in Akureyri over the weekend. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/13/five-arrested-in-armed-operation-in-akureyri/

From Iceland — Up To 20 Dead Geese Found In Vatnsmýri, Bird Flu Suspected Cause A zoology professor discovered nearly 20 dead greylag geese in Vatnsmýri on Jan. 12, 2025, suspected to have died of avian influenza

Bird flu appears to have claimed the lives of more than a dozen geese in Reykjavík's Vatnsmýri area. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/13/up-to-20-dead-geese-found-in-vatnsmyri-bird-flu-suspected-cause/

Have you visited Ásmundarsafn? This new exhibition might be just the excuse you've been waiting for to take a trip to the Laugardalur landmark.
https://grapevine.is/icelandic-culture/2025/01/10/the-ever-changing-wonderland-new-exhibition-opens-at-asmundarsafn/

“Art making, for me, has a lot to do with subverting conventional systems or making strange or estranging what we know all the time,” angela explains of the project 10 years in the making.

Read all about it...
https://grapevine.is/icelandic-culture/2025/01/10/making-mischief-and-playing-seriously/

From Iceland — Grapevine Events: XJAZZ, Infinite Randomness & More On the weekend events lineup: Christmas markets of all shapes and sizes, weird music and more.

We have your weekend plans sorted! Check out these not-to-miss events. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/10/grapevine-events-xjazz-infinite-randomness-more/

From Iceland — Grapevine New Music Picks: Hermigervill, Inspector Spacetime, Hekla & More As the poet said, “Gotta get down on Friday.” The Reykjavík Grapevine released its first issue of the year today....

Step right up! Get your new music, here! With the 2025 Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards on the horizon, we're all about the new music... just like any other time of the year, but we really ... https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/10/grapevine-new-music-picks-hermigervill-inspector-spacetime-hekla-more/

From Iceland — Five Taken To Hospital Following Bus Accident Two buses, each carrying around fifty passengers, collided on the highway near Hella, reports Vísir. A mass casualty response plan...

A pair of tour buses bot up close and personal on the road by Hella. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/10/five-taken-to-hospital-following-bus-accident/

From Iceland — Record Volume Of Cannabis Confiscated In 2024 Icelandic police and customs authorities confiscated record amounts of cannabis in 2024. Read more here.

The government’s always trying to keep us down, man. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/09/record-volume-of-cannabis-confiscated-in-2024/

From Iceland — One Taken To Hospital After Fire At Trailer Park A fire broke out early Jan. 8, 2025, at a trailer park at Sævarhöfði in Reykjavík, destroying a trailer and a campervan.

The capital area's fire brigade has been busy this morning, starting with extinguishing a blaze in a Reykjavík trailer park. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/08/one-taken-to-hospital-after-fire-at-trailer-park/

From Iceland — Fox Roaming Loose In Laugardalur The fox escaped from the Reykjavík Family Park and Zoo on Jan. 7, 2025, having managed to get out through a hole in the fence.

One sly fox managed to escape her enclosure at the Reykjavík zoo and was last spotted en route to the skating rink. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/08/fox-roaming-loose-in-laugardalur/

From Iceland — Future Of Kolaportið Flea Market Uncertain The future of Reykjavík’s downtown flea market Kolaportið faces uncertainty following the bankruptcy of its operating company. On December 29,...

It looks like the future of Kolaportið is in limbo. Where else can we go to get our glow sticks, hákarl and army memorabilia in one stop? https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/07/future-of-kolaportid-flea-market-uncertain/

From Iceland — Árni Grétar Jóhannesson, Futuregrapher, Dead At 41 Reykjavík-based electronic musician Árni Grétar Jóhannesson, known under his artist moniker Futuregrapher, died after his car drove into the Reykjavík...

Beloved local electronic musician Árni Grétar Jóhannesson (a.k.a. Futuregrapher) died at the close of 2024. Friends and family will gather at Kaffibarinn tonight to remember him. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/07/arni-gretar-johannesson-futuregrapher-dead-at-41/

From Iceland — Bus Fare To Increase To 670 ISK Starting on January 8, Strætó bs. will implement a price hike on bus fares. The company cites increased operational costs as the reason.

Strætó is chalking its latest fare hike to wage increases over the past few years. Check out how much it'll soon cost to ride the bus in Reykjavík. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/06/bus-fare-to-increase-to-670-isk/

From Iceland — Bjarni Ben Steps Down As Chairman and MP Bjarni Benediktsson won't seek re-election as chairman of the Independence Party and is vacating his seat in parliament.

[In our best Glinda soprano] Let us be glad! Let us be grateful!

After 20+ years of back-to-back scandal — or, erm, political achievement — Bjarni Benediktsson is throwing in the towel.

🎶 GOOD NEWS! 🎶 https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/06/bjarni-ben-steps-down-as-chairman-and-mp/

From Iceland — The Lava Field Remains Hot And Dangerous For Hikers The Icelandic Met Office has issued a warning regarding the lava field near Svartsengi, which remains hot and hazardous for...

If you were mulling a weekend stroll over the fresh lava field, we'd suggest making other (safer) plans. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/04/the-lava-field-remains-hot-and-dangerous-for-hikers/

From Iceland — Public Responds To Prime Minister's Call For Cost-Cutting Ideas The public has submitted hundreds of suggestions after the Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir called for cost-saving tips from citizens in...

“Wait, you don’t already have a plan?”

The public responded to Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's call for cost-saving tips. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/04/public-responds-to-prime-ministers-call-for-cost-cutting-ideas/

From Iceland — Grapevine Events: Nýló Birthday, Night Of Improvised Music & More On the weekend events lineup: Christmas markets of all shapes and sizes, weird music and more.

Looking for something fun to do in Reykjavík this first weekend of 2025? Here are a few ideas. https://grapevine.is/news/2025/01/04/grapevine-events-nylo-birthday-night-of-improvised-music-more/