Of the charts art
Reykjavík underground art scene Chances are if you are coming to Iceland that you have your vacation planned out around sightseeing, exploring the nature and countryside and perhaps taking part in some adventurous activity or two. If you’re spending some time in Reykjavík, it will likely only be in the evenings, and besides looking up some of the best restaurants and bars to go to, you may not have a clue of what else there is to do in the evenings. by Nanna Gunnars Photos: Courtesy of respective art groups and iStockphoto.com
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lso, you may not have given much thought to what entertainment there is during those bright nights when it just seems impossible to sleep with the sun still high in the sky around midnight. Many visitors may have heard about Iceland’s rich music scene, with the likes of Björk and Sigur Rós becoming world famous, but they are likely to be touring the world and unless you’re very lucky, not readily available with a concert for you during your holiday. PARTY ALL WEEK LONG Thankfully, Reykjavík’s art scene is booming, and if you dig a little into it, you’ll find a plethora of entertainment options. In fact, for such a small country the music scene is off the charts, making it hard to go downtown in Reykjavík and not bump into some live music, any day of the week. There are weekly jazz sessions on Sundays (Bryggjan Brewery), Mondays (Húrra), Tuesdays (Kex Hostel) and Wednesdays (Peterson Suite or Múlinn Jazz Club at Harpa Concert Hall). There are several music festivals, both big and small, but perhaps the most interesting one for the underground scene is the Battle of the Bands or Icelandic Music Experiments (Músíktilraunir).
In recent years the comedy scene has been blossoming in Reykjavík, and nowadays you can find weekly stand-up gigs and improv shows.
year, and the entry fee is a mere 1500-2000 ISK. Most of their shows are held in Icelandic, although they are so visually entertaining that you don’t necessarily have to know what’s being said to get a laugh out of it. And from time to time they do offer shows in English, such as during their annual Improv Festival (March or April) and in the summertime. Every Monday night you can find stand-up comedy performed in English at Gaukurinn, with free entry, hosted by Goldengang Comedy. Additionally, there are regular stand up shows in Icelandic, as well as big international names that come to perform in Iceland. BLOSSOMING VARIETY SCENE Not only has the comedy scene been blossoming, but also the drag and cabaret scene. Drag-súgur is Iceland’s biggest “drag troupe” and has been performing monthly at Gaukurinn since November 2015. It’s become so big and popular that it has given birth to another drag show, Drag Lab. The Icelandic drag scene contains a mixture of nationalities and is often hosted by Australian comedian Jono Duffy, making it very accessible to an international audience. The same goes for the Reykjavík cabaret scene, where the most established group is Reykjavík Kabarett who frequently import guest performers from around the world and have strong ties with the New York cabaret scene. They also collaborate with Iceland’s drag
This annual music competition for teenagers and young people (from 13-25 years old) takes place in March and has been running since 1982. This is the root of the Icelandic music scene, where the winners often find success afterward. This is, for example, where Of Monsters and Men was discovered—the winners of the 2010 competition. During the summer the newly crowned winners also tend to play at plenty of gigs around town, so keep your eyes out for small gigs in dark bars. A BIT OF LAUGHTER But Iceland’s art scene isn’t solely about the music. In recent years the comedy scene has been blossoming in Reykjavík, and nowadays you can find weekly stand-up gigs and improv shows. Improv Iceland has weekly shows throughout most of the
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WOW Power to the people
Icelandic music is great, but unfortunately you won’t find Sigur Ros playing here every night.
