As we type this, the first issue of 2026 is already making its way across the country — and there’s a rare patch of sunshine outside the office window, so we’ll take that as a good sign.
This weekend has a lot going on, so let’s get into it.
This afternoon at 16:00, the amateur photography collective FÓKUS opens a new series of exhibitions at the Reykjavík Museum of Photography with Movement. Six photographers will show work exploring what that word can mean — and it turns out it means quite a lot.
Tomorrow at 14:00, the Listasalur Mosfellsbæjar unveils Mercury Maze, a sonic and visual installation from Mercury Maze Studio — artists Owen Hindley, Katerina Blahutova, and Þorsteinn Eyfjörð. Then at 21:00, catch the duo Marsibil (Una Schram & Kári the Attempt) performing at this week’s Straumur.
Sunday brings the weekly jazz session at Iðnó, this time with experimental trio Whale Bird on stage at 20:00. Worth clearing your evening for.
More events are listed below — and if you’ve got something to add, drop it into the calendar at events.grapevine.is.
Emma
January 9 — 20:00 — Mengi — 2,500 ISK/2,000 ISK for students
In our ninth issue of 2025, we sat down with atmospheric folk band Emma to talk about the ideas behind their debut album, Halidome. If you missed them at Iceland Airwaves, tonight at Mengi is your chance to make up for it. The quartet will play stripped back versions of the album alongside some unreleased material — an intimate evening that suits the world they’ve built through those delicate songs. ISH
Sæmundur Þór Helgason — DRIP
Opens January 10 — 15:00 — Y Gallery
Sæmundur Þór Helgason is known for art that is both inventive and politically sharp. His 2024 work Why is Iceland so Poor? turned heads at The New Art Museum with video interviews of shoppers talking about poverty in Iceland. His new show, DRIP, takes a different angle — oversized replicas of Playmobil toys bearing the visible traces of mass production. Police accessories are a recurring motif: handcuffs, a helmet, a vest. ISH
The New Art Museum B-Day & New Year’s Party!
January 10 — 20:00 — The Museum of Contemporary Art — 1,500 ISK
Nýló’s birthday party is always one of the better nights of the year, and this edition looks no different. The lineup includes DJ Kling & Bang, DJ Open, MC Myasnoi, Countess Malaise, Butter, CYBER, Benni There, Páll Óskar, Power Failure, Apex Anima, and FRZNTE. Circus performers from Round Game will be on hand, there’s a lucky wheel to spin, temporary tattoos from Jasa Baka, and — yes — a glitter booth. ISH
Photo by Art Bicnick
Steina: Playback Final Weekend
Closes on January 11 — National Gallery of Iceland & Reykjavík Art Museum — 2,500 ISK each
This is your last weekend to see the large-scale retrospective of video artist and digital media pioneer Steina Vasulka. The exhibition runs simultaneously at the National Gallery of Iceland and the Reykjavík Art Museum. A trained classical musician, Steina Vasulka has spent decades fusing music and video art into immersive installations that hold up as well now as ever. If you haven’t made it yet, the Grapevine strongly recommends going before it closes. FROM
