Your guide to the best Reykjavik gay bars, LGBT venues and events
Iceland
The LGBTQ+ scene in Reykjavik may be cozy (suiting Iceland’s brisk weather!), but it’s as tolerant, welcoming, and downright friendly as you’ll find anywhere.
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Visit EqualdexReykjavik is Iceland’s hotspot, if a country just south of the Arctic Circle can be said to have a hotspot: the Reykjavik Capital Area is home to a full two-thirds of the Icelandic population, or some 220,000 people, with 131,000 in the city proper. Reykjavik is trendy and cosmopolitan— which won’t be a surprise if you’ve seen Iceland’s Eurovision entries!—and its restaurants, bars, and clubs have international as well as Icelandic flavor. Laugavegur is the city’s high street for eclectic shopping, where you’ll find community-friendly clubs right next to each other. If you’re lost, look out for the Viking mural! Keep in mind that Iceland’s party scene starts late and runs until 5 am or later, perhaps because bar drinks are particularly pricey. Pre-drinking at home is a common start to a night of carousing. Offer to host and you’re sure to make friends!
Also on Laugavegur is the Icelandic Phallological Museum, which showcases the world’s largest collection of human and animal penises. The museum’s folklore section includes mythological creatures’ phalluses. Where else but in Iceland can you see an elf, let alone what it’s packing? Of course, Reykjavik’s cultural landscape reveals that (population) size doesn’t matter. Þjóðleikhúsið (National Theater of Iceland) and the Harpa concert hall are frost giants when it comes to the arts. The magnificent Hallgrímskirkja church dominates Reykjavik’s skyline, and the church spire is especially impressive against the northern lights in winter. To ward off the cold, do as the locals do and take a nude plunge in one of Reykjavik’s geothermal swimming pools! These warm waters will delight any traveler, and they’re a big draw at the RVKBear event in September.
The RVK Feminist Film Festival is a wintertime highlight, attracting female directors from around the world in January. Check out the northern lights with Rainbow Reykjavik in March, and come back in early August, when Reykjavik celebrates Hinsegin dagar (Pride) with a parade that meanders through the capital’s streets and ends with outdoor music at Arnarhóll (Arnar’s hill). Pride packs the city’s bars, but not its landfills: non-biodegradable confetti is banned, along with alcohol consumption during the outdoor celebrations and culturally-insensitive costumes. Instead, you’re free to be yourself in Reykjavik. Since 2010, LGBTQ+ couples in Iceland have enjoyed all the same rights as heterosexual couples. Travelers will enjoy the capital’s distinct and delightful culture.
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