The Reykjavík Grapevine

10/06/2026

In the last issue of the Reykjavík Grapevine we didn't just cover Ásta Fanney, artist extraordinaire and Iceland's tribute to the 2026 Venice Biannale, we put her on the cover of the magazine. But what took us so long? Bart Cameron, our editor, tries to explain himself:

"For six months, we’ve been debating Ásta Fanney in the office. First there was the question of how to feature the bright young artist accurately. Ásta Fanney literally creates her own universe using multimedia experiences. She happens to also be a poet. If her work could be explained or expressed in a few sentences, she would have done that.

Just as we finished calling, emailing, and otherwise bugging every art authority we could find, we got wind of the protests coming for the 2026 Venice Biennale. In April 2026, the five-member jury for the massive art celebration first stated they would not consider Russia and Israel in competition, then they stepped down after they faced pushback, including threatened legal action.

We have limited resources at this magazine, and reading the writing on the wall we made the easy decision to not cover Ásta Fanney or the Venice Biennale. You might notice, for example, we didn’t cover this year’s Eurovision competition.

A few things happened to change our mind."

🔗 What happened?? Great question. Find the full article link in the comments.

10/06/2026

"You know the rules. Name that sheep. Tell us the name of this specific sheep. Email us at [email protected]. If you get the right name, and you’re in Iceland, you win a hot dog, made in part with sheep. One guess per email address please.

Not in Iceland? Guess the right name, and you’ll get a separate prize from our Grapevine store.

But wait: How can you possibly guess the name of a single sheep? We don’t know. This isn’t the New York Times. Our games are cruel. However, if you give us a name the sheep SHOULD have, we’ll give one prize for the best name the sheep doesn’t have but would in an ideal world."

🔗Find out how our last issue's cruel and unusual sheep guessing game went in the comments.

10/06/2026

"Once abundant across the North Atlantic, the flightless Great Auk proved easy prey for settlers travelling westward. Widespread slaughter caused a catastrophic decline. By the 19th century, the species had become so rare that collectors were racing to secure specimens before the bird disappeared entirely.

On 3 June 1844, what is widely believed to have been the final breeding pair was killed on Eldey off the Reykjanes Peninsula. Their egg was crushed in the process. Fishermen, commissioned to retrieve specimens for a collector, strangled the birds and carried their bodies away. As with so many species approaching extinction, rarity itself increased their value."

Find Bjørn Penk's full article in the comments.

07/06/2026

Two middle-age men board a boat .... and have a whale of a time. Read all about it:

It was a cold, crisp November day. The sea was mostly still and, even rarer for Iceland in autumn, the sky almost completely blue.

06/06/2026

Relax and unwind with a luxurious spa day. Find out where to pamper yourself in style:

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’s geothermal springs into dark castles devoted to the worship

05/06/2026

It’s Friday! Joel from wants you to check out these three tracks:
”Stressed” By featuring Barði from
”Samferða” By feat.
“Dísel” by
For more Icelandic music, visit grapevine.is
Produced in collaboration with

05/06/2026

The world is not enough for Ásta Fanney. Along with granting us interviews, followed up with more interviews, she approached us with an idea to create her own cover. This was not a situation where we asked her to show up and pose. No, Ásta Fanney pitched the entire concept, the photographer, Sandijs Ruluks, and executed it flawlessly. We could try to say we worked hand in hand with a world-famous artist. We didn’t. We watched in awe. Read the full story with featured collaborator Anna Margrét Bjornsson.

02/06/2026

What started as an intimate recorded concert series is taking its next step.

As Oktaves continues its mission of helping independent musicians go an Oktave Higher™, 8th Session returns for Vol. 03 in a new home: Smekkleysa.

8th Session was created to showcase some of the most exciting artists from and based in Iceland, bringing audiences closer to the music through carefully curated live performances in unique spaces.

In collaboration with The Reykjavik Grapevine, vol. 03 features:

Juno Paul · KARLOTTA · Mighty Bear · Ari Árelíus

💰 Pay what you can
📍 Smekkleysa, Hverfisgata 32 Reykjavík
🗓️ June 11th
🕖 Doors 19:00 · First act 19:30

Want to be part of a future session?
DM us.

02/06/2026

What we talk about when we talk about bubbi - with Rúv's Óli PalliWhat do we talk about, when we talk about Iceland's most popular musical artist Bubbi? We interview longtime radio DJ Óli Palli about his (and our) and Iceland's relationship with Bubbi Morthens from 1980 onwards.