Category Archives: iceland
With all these elves, trolls and hidden people mucking about, the question isn’t only whether they exist, but also whether people actually believe they exist.
So do they or don’t they? No, we’re not talking about Santa Claus or The Tooth Fairy — we all know they’re for real — we’re talking about the Hidden People. […]
What’s big, burly and grunts a lot… (apart from your grandmother)? An Icelandic Viking of course! For those of you who missed the original Vikings the first time, the town of Hafnarfjörður has brought them back for a best-of reunion tour.
This year, the International Viking Festival takes over the town from 12-16 June. The festival […]
Industrial magnates of the world beware. Icelandic elves artists are striking back.
Breaking news! Björk and Sigur Rós are not too thrilled at all about highly pollutant aluminum smelters being built left, right and center in Iceland.
The musical pair are dedicated to environmental issues and feel as if the Icelandic image of, you know, like purity and unspoilt nature and […]
Quick on the draw? We’ve got 1000 seats for ₤49 on sale until tomorrow night. Get clicking!
Seven airports, a bunch of low fares, one great destination!
Travel From: London, Copenhagen, Paris, Stockholm, Frankfurt, Eindhoven, and Basel
Travel Period:
1 June to 15 June 2008
Booking Period:
Right Now - 23:59 GMT, 30 May 2008
One-way fares, including taxes and charges, from:
₤49
€60
DKK 470
SEK […]
But we’re not going to make a fake video about her.
Sometimes we stumble across things online that make us really wonder about the fate of humanity.
Then we leave Oprah.com.
But even the rest of the Net seems to be jammed with people stalking celebrities or taping themselves doing borderline illegal things with Mexican food. Or both.
We won’t […]
A roundup of things to do in Iceland this May, as prepared by your ticket-holding editors.
Icelanders aren’t much for people who whine about what’s wrong in the world, but they sure are excited about Bob Dylan’s concert 26 May. Just like a woman.
Rite of Spring Festival returns 17-19 May. It’s like Airwaves for the folk, jazz, and world […]
There once was a little gay Viking. This friendly but misunderstood fellow spent all his time braiding horses’ manes and knitting colorful scarves. The village people liked him, until one day he got drunk on chocolate choo-choos at the summer festival and tried to kiss Thor, the blacksmith. Thor was really embarrassed and angry because he was more aroused than disgusted, so […]
After that first blissful night in an Icelandic nightclub, the next thing you’ll want to do is have an Icelandic baby. This is perfectly understandable, but be warned: you’ll have to give it an Icelandic name. It’s the law.
You might frown at a rule dictating what you may or may not name your child, muttering something about […]
We’re at it again!
Miss out on the concert giveaway last week? Have no fear - the Icebreaker’s here!
Travel From: London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Barcelona, and Alicante
Travel Period:
17 April - 14 May 2008
Booking Period:
16 April (noon GMT!) - midnight 17 April 2008
One-way fares, including taxes and charges, from:
₤56
€70
535 DKK
669 SEK
Legal Stuff: Act fast because when they’re gone, they’re gone. Limited […]
The first 100 people to book this Icebreaker deal will get free concert tickets, but everyone gets return tickets for ₤154!
The Þráður (Thread) music festival next weekend features some of Iceland’s hottest bands (see below), and we want to give you a free ticket. The first 100 people to book one of these special city break deals will walk […]
Our new employees don’t sock around — they tell it like it is.
Need to say something to someone about Iceland but don’t dare do it in person? Let our new employees do your dirty work for you.
The Iceland Socks are a rag-tag bunch of loudmouth sock puppets with questionable taste in clothing. They seem to […]
A roundup of things to do in Iceland this month, as prepared by your always-ready-to-satisfy-themselves editors.
As far as official events go, April is a dead month. Spring is in the air and nobody wants to commit to being anywhere, at any time (except, perhaps, the pool — let’s say Saturday at noon?). So here are […]
Iceland: The least likely place on earth to perfect your all-over tan.
Almost a year and a half ago we warned you about the nude bathing requirements at Reykjavík’s swimming pools. The inquiries from terrified travellers were overwhelming.
Do I really have to get, like, all the way undressed?
Are there any pools with private showers?
I’m circumcised… will that be a problem?
It seems […]
Iceland Review is a web news site and quarterly magazine specializing in all things Iceland. As a resource for foreigners interested in the goings-on of daily Icelandic life, it is about as good as you can get (other than this page, of course).
But here’s the thing: There are only, like, 300,000 people here. There just isn’t that much news.
Hence, The Most Boring Iceland Review […]
Want to avoid feeling out-of-place in Reykjavik? Never mind eating sheep testicles in an attempt to fit in — here are the important everyday customs you’ll really need to become a true Friend of Iceland.
Take off your shoes
If you’re lucky enough to get invited into the home of a genuine Icelandic person (yes, it has been […]
A roundup of things to do in Iceland this month, as prepared by your 8 Bar editors.
The Yardbirds don’t remember the 60’s, but you might. They join musicians from all over the world 18-21 March at the Reykjavík Blues Festival. Sad and happy at the same time.
So you’ve seen Spamalot four times… wouldn’t it be nice to see the New […]
Quick on the draw? We’ve got 1000 seats for ₤49. Get clicking!
Seven airports, a bunch of low fares, one great destination!
Travel From: London, Copenhagen, Paris, Stockholm, Frankfurt, Eindhoven, and Basel
Travel Period:
1 June to 15 June 2008
Booking Period:
Right Now - 23:59 GMT, 30 May 2008
One-way fares, including taxes and charges, from:
₤49
€60
DKK 470
SEK 580
ISK 6.990
Legal Stuff: Act fast because when they’re gone, they’re […]
…from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow. Led Zeppelin screamed these words and unknowingly became the first “Friends of Iceland”.
If you’re famous, have been to Iceland once, and have said anything positive about the country, you are qualified to be an Íslandsvinur - A Friend of Iceland.
This honour is probably bestowed because we feel small in a global […]
The search for Iceland’s troop continues. Let’s hope the war keeps going until she can go back!
Iceland’s troop finds that her hand-knit wool sweaters are not appreciated in Baghdad.
Here in Iceland we’re currently in the thick of Þorrablót season—the traditional midwinter festival where people get together to eat rotten food and drink lots of Black Death. While it is commonly regarded by outsiders as merely a putrid-food drinkfest, there is a lot more to it than that.
Before Iceland adopted Christianity in 1000 AD, it […]
A round-up of things to do in Iceland this February, as prepared by your sickly-white editors.
Tell darkness to “smell it… smell it… NOW TAKE IT!” 7-9 February at the Winter Lights Festival. Bring a flashlight.
Fight racism with hip-hop at Gauk á Stöng 1 February. Don’t expect to see many Spanish football loyalists.
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra performs […]
Restricted Icelandic daylight hours could make the whole of our winter pretty depressing if we let it, but the 21st of January has been and gone — and your editors are still alive to tell the tale.
According to alleged university professor Dr Cliff Arnall, Monday the 21st of January is officially the most depressing day […]
Fly to Iceland from London, Copenhagen, or Berlin from just ₤52!
Iceland in the winter?! Of course! The weather is mild (really), there is plenty to do (glacier tour anyone?), and the nightlife never takes a season off (it’s always hot in the clubs).
Travel Period:
15 January to 15 March 2008
Booking Period:
14 to 16 January 2008 (noon GMT both days)
One-way fares, including taxes and […]
Stunning. Inspiring. Slightly wild… and the photos aren’t bad either.
In this second instalment of our continuing look at amazingly talented, attractive, self-taught female Icelandic photographers (yes, there’s more than one), we sat down with Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir, who has dominated Flickr by presenting Iceland, and herself, as art.
Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir is a bit uneasy about her success. She started taking pictures two years ago, […]
A roundup of things to do in Iceland this January, as prepared by your flamin’-in-’08 editors.
January is always a time for reflection and change. Throw in raging bonfires, enough fireworks to make a Chinese arsonist crap his pants, and the return of the sun, and there’s nowhere that feels quite as refreshing as Iceland this New Year.
No friends […]
Step One: Hold your nose.
In a country of bizarre traditions, one of the craziest has to be the putrid skate party. Every year on Þorláksmessa (St. Thorlák’s Mass), 23 December, Icelanders get together and eat skate (the fish, not the sporting equipment) that has been sitting in a closed container and allowed to ferment for about […]
Icelanders have gotten a bit of a reputation for being shy with people they don’t know. We swear it’s not true.
Sigur Rós Info: Band Site | Their Movie | Crazy Fan Site
You’ve seen the pictures, heard the rave reviews, and now you want to experience them for yourself: the aurora borealis, the northern lights, those elusive, magical, shimmering rows of colour that dance across the Nordic skies in winter.
The northern lights are definitely near the top of sights to see for the majority of tourists that […]
A roundup of things to do in Iceland this December, as prepared by your door-slamming editors.
It sounds cliché, but Christmas in Iceland is really a magical time. Maybe it’s the reindeer and snow, or Icelander’s willingness to throw themselves head-first into any and all celebrations. Whatever the reason, there is little doubt that a Holiday Season spent here […]
Ok, we mean for this to serve more as a way to keep you updated on Iceland’s role in geopolitics than a statement of anti-war sentiment. Oh, and ignore the “other” airline’s plane at the end - Iceland Express doesn’t fly to Baghdad.
The Loneliest Icelander:
45 different ways to say the word “green,” but if you want a beer just say “I want beer.”
As one Icelandic language teacher told her foreign students: “F#%& the grammar! You’ll never get it right, so let’s just talk.” Hmm, encouraging. But when you consider that there are 45 different ways just to say the […]
Here in Iceland, there’s a groovy system in place for wage slaves: labour unions buy cottages all over the country and rent them out to their members on the cheap. This means that virtually every Icelander has access to a cottage, as it’s mandatory for salaried employees in Iceland to join a labour union.
Consequently, cottage culture is deeply ingrained into […]
A roundup of things to do in Iceland this November, as prepared by your festival-weary editors.
Not that we ever wish it over, but our livers and sleep clocks rejoice in the passing of Iceland’s festival season. November offers a chance to catch up on indoor pursuits and relax… just in time to plan for all the Holiday […]
Iceland Express gets shown How to Look Good Naked.
Ok, not really naked… we just said that for the Google rating. And no, you haven’t combined the wrong pills again like that time you tried to ride a Yorkshire poodle down the Thames. What you see here (and on our psychedelic new web site) is a […]
What we learned from Iceland’s largest music festival:
Iceland rocks. This comes as no surprise to seasoned Icelandic music lovers, but there may be no better city in which to hear music. The vibe downtown is completely welcoming and energetic. Iceland is truely in love with music and the people who make it. Speaking of which…
Listen like a local. Of […]
Chromeo!
Arg! This was a tough one. The big guns came out last night… the music got better, the performances got wilder, and the crowds got more insane. Mugison gave everything he had for our title, with probably the most dedicated performance of the festival.
But in the end, the full commitment that Chromeo managed to squeeze out […]
Buck 65!
This one was a tough call. As Airwaves continues, the performances get better and our memories get hazier. Some honourable mentions go to Plants and Animals for the diversity and talent they displayed, and to Deerhoof for giving the crowd everything they expected from the trio.
But the award goes to Buck 65. Old school […]
Ólöf Arnalds!
Ólöf is familiar to all music-loving Icelanders. At least she sounds familiar, having contributed to songs by favourite Mugison (among others), and serving as Múm’s collaborator for the last three years. She is a multi-talented experimental musician who plays guitar, viola, xylophone, and sings (of course).
But fresh on the heels of her debut solo album […]
Smoosh!
Ok, we’ll admit that these three cute little sisters from Seattle had an unfair advantage. Who could fault three kids flying to Iceland to play in front of hundreds of wannabe Vikings? They had an unfair advantage from the start, but the real surprise was how great they turned out to be! Asy, Chloe, and Maia offer up catchy electro-pop songs with the playfulness and […]
So you’ve come to Iceland intent on sampling its renowned pool culture, but find the Blue Lagoon a bit touristy and the Laugardalslaug a bit hectic. You need something off the beaten track, something wild, something enticing, something to make you feel like you’ve landed in a sci-fi movie from the ’30’s. You need Lýsuhóll.
Also […]
Dear Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr (you will always be a “Sir” in our eyes),
First, you guys are great. Sir Paul, we can’t believe that someone could do a project like Thrillington and still make time for hobbies like Wings. And Ringo, we’ve been hopeless fans since we saw you in Caveman.
So imagine our surprise when […]
A roundup of things to do in Iceland this October, as prepared by your soon-to-be sleep deprived editors.
170 bands in 4 nights? Sounds like a long weekend for Courtney Love. 17-21 October, Iceland Airwaves comes to a pounding eardrum near you! Get your virtual hangover right here with our complete coverage.
For a calmer experience, check out Yoko Ono’s […]
Doing our part to preserve Iceland’s well-deserved reputation.
Everyone knows that Iceland is blessed with a ruggedly stunning landscape, a pristine ecosystem, and a population hot enough to make a camel sweat. So why fight it?
While some airlines (no names) have recently asked their passengers to cover up their assets, we say, “shake what yo mamma gave ya!” You’re on vacation, […]
Get ‘em while it’s above-freezing! One-way tickets to Iceland
from all over Europe starting at ₤45!
Think the year is winding down? Think again! With outragious festivals, endless nature, and a nightlife that knows no season, Iceland is the place to be this autumn.
Travel Period:
1 October to 30 November 2007
Booking Period:
19 to 21 September 2007 (noon GMT both days)
One-way fares, […]
