Go Iceland! Go Iceland!
Tonight, if the streets feel strangely empty around 19:30, you already know why — the whole country is planted in front of a screen for the Iceland vs. Denmark semi-final handball match. Every bar with a TV will have it on, and the ones without will be doing it via radio. That means events like Víkan have been pushed back, and DJ sets shifted to later in the evening. Not a handball fan? Fair enough, but there’s genuinely not much else happening at that hour, so you may as well pull up a stool and watch.
Once the final whistle goes, the night picks right back up. Caritas takes the stage at Port 9 at 21:00. Over at Gamla Bíó, leftovers — fresh off releasing his new album 100&ONE — plays a free concert. And at Iðnó, the ninth edition of the concert series Sample also kicks off at 21:00, with a lineup that includes Bjarni Daníel, Faroese rapper Maríus DC, DJ Flugvél & Geimskip, and DJ Kollz. Plenty to choose from.
Looking a little further ahead, the annual Japan Festival — put on by students and faculty from the University of Iceland’s Bachelor’s in Japanese Language & Culture — starts at 13:00 tomorrow. There’s a film screening, a Manga workshop, a Karate demonstration, and more besides.
Want to find more going on? Keep scrolling. If you’ve got an event to share, add it to the calendar at events.grapevine.is, or head there to see what’s on around town.
Dark Music Days 2026
January 29 to February 1 — Multiple locations — Ticket information at darkmusicdays.is
When January drags on and the darkness feels relentless, Dark Music Days has a way of making it worthwhile. The festival brings together experimental commissioned works, unusual performances, and some genuinely unexpected collaborations. This year you can try a sound bath, join a music workshop for children, explore an interactive computer game built by Steinunn Hardardóttir that weaves in musical elements, and catch a performance called “How to Ruin Someone’s Career as a Violist.” Those three events are free; festival passes are available if you want the full programme.
Group Exhibition — Affinities of Form
Friday, January 30 — 17:00 — National Gallery of Iceland — Free entry
The exhibition’s full name — Affinities of Form: Artistic Convergences in Iceland since 1970 — gives you a sense of its scope. Curated by Gavin Morrison alongside National Gallery curator Pari Stave, it’s a multimedia, multinational show with works rooted in Iceland’s landscapes and the long fascination artists have had with them. On the same evening, Architecture of Place also opens, making it a strong double bill if you’re heading to the National Gallery of Iceland anyway.
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Songwriter: Salka Valsdóttir
Saturday, January 31 — 20:00 — Salurinn — Tickets starting at 6,500 ISK
Salka Valsdóttir, best known for her work in the duo CYBER and the collective Reykjavíkurdætur, is back with her first solo concert in over two years. She’ll be joined by saxophonist Tumi Árnason and thereminist Hekla Magnúsdóttir, performing new compositions and talking through the thinking behind them. The show is part of the Söngvaskáld series, which gives singer-songwriters space to both perform and discuss their craft.
Khairkhan: Concert And Lecture
Sunday, February 1 — 13:00 — City Library (Grófin) — Free entry
Khairkhan is an Inner Mongolian musician from the Khorqin Tribe who now calls Reykjavík home. At this free event he’ll introduce instruments like the morin khuur, tsuur, and tovshuur, and give attendees a chance to learn the basics of Mongolian throat singing. It’s open to everyone — no prior knowledge needed.
It’s The Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards!
Thursday, February 5 — 20:00 — Lemmy — Free entry
The nominees are out — worth a look before you start arguing with friends about who deserves to win. Come Thursday at 20:00, Lemmy is where it all happens, as we mark the musicians who stood out over the past year. Word is that some of the winning artists might turn up and play a few songs on the night. There’s also talk of free beer. We’ll leave it at that.
