The Reykjavík Dance Festival is finally here. Graduation showcases, a politically charged retelling of Swan Lake, a rave built for infants — the programme has something genuinely unexpected at every turn. Our own Iryna Zubenko sat down with festival organisers and performers to find out what’s driving it all. Read her interviews here, and browse the full festival programme here.
Today at 17:00, the SIND Gallery opens the exhibition I’m Juicing. Ten artists explore sapphic love across photography, textiles, video installations, and beading. The opening will have DJ Mellí on the decks, so expect a good atmosphere from the start.
Tomorrow brings the GIANT 1000kr RECORD SALE at Mengi, starting at 12:00. I’ll be honest — I considered keeping quiet about this one so I could get first pick. But here we are. Go, enjoy it. Just leave something good for the rest of us.
Later that day, H,A,K,K Gallery hosts the finissage of Johanna Seelemann’s glass at 16:00. After that you’ve got a choice: a quiet winter evening with Ólöf Arnalds at Mengi at 20:00, or electronic pop with Lara at Kaffibarinn at 21:00 as part of the Straumur concert series.
Sunday marks the Day of the Icelandic Language — a day tied to the birthday of the poet Jónas Hallgrímsson. It’s worth marking properly. We’d suggest revisiting our Word Of The Issue articles, or picking up the rather singular book on Icelandic curses, Eat Frozen Sh*t!.
Korean Film Festival
November 13 to November 16 — Bíó Paradís — 2,190 ISK for a single screening
Bíó Paradís is hosting Iceland’s first-ever Korean film festival, with six films spanning 2007 to 2025. Highlights include Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and Jeon Soo-il’s With the Girl of Black Soil. Korean food at the concession stand and K-pop between screenings round out the experience. JB
ELECTRIC SHOCK
November 14 to November 16 — Hafnarhaus & Elliðaárstöð — Free entry
If you want to see where Icelandic arts is actually pushing boundaries, this is the festival. RAFLOST brings together visual art, performance, and music from artists working at the edge of technology and creativity. It opens Friday evening at Hafnarhús, continues Saturday afternoon, and wraps on the final day when workshop participants show what they’ve built. Worth clearing your schedule for. JB
Advent In 20 Languages
November 15 — 13:00 — World: House Of Vigdís / Edda — Free entry
Gunnar Gunnarsson’s Advent has now been translated into over 20 languages since it was first published, and a new English translation has just been added to that list. To mark the 50th anniversary of the author’s death, passages will be read simultaneously in all those languages. A quiet, unusual way to spend a Saturday afternoon — and a genuine tribute to Icelandic literature. ISH
Iceland Dance Company: Flood Debris
Multiple dates — Borgarleikhúsið — 7,300 ISK on tix.is
Last year, Jónsi transformed Hafnarhús with his exhibition FLOOD. Dancers from the Iceland Dance Company responded by building a piece rooted in the sounds and atmosphere of FLOOD — and after a strong run last year, they’re back at Borgarleikhúsið with further performances developed in continued collaboration with Jónsi. Tickets for Sunday’s showing are already gone, so if you’re interested, check upcoming dates soon. ISH
