Reykjavík Music Walk/Talk

If you’re interested in the Icelandic music scene, you might enjoy visiting some of the landmark sites of Iceland’s pop and rock history by signing up for the Reykjavík Music Walk, or you could attend a free 45-minute lecture on the same subject on a Wednesday night at the Beer Garden, located at Fosshotel, on Þórunnartún, Reykjavík. 

The Reykjavík Music Talk is being offered for the first time this summer. This is how Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen, the music historian and music journalist who gives the talk, describes it:

“In short, I cover Icelandic pop music history, from Óðinn Valdimarsson to OMAM [Of Monsters and Men], in 45 minutes. In edutaining style, I walk between the guests, swinging my arms, trying to inform them in the best and most memorable way.” Pictures of Icelandic pop/rock music adorn the walls, allowing Arnar Eggert to point to them as the lecture proceeds.

The reception has exceeded expectations, Arnar Eggert states. “Most of those who attend are foreign tourists, full of curiosity. Björk and Sigur Rós do play a role in attracting the large numbers of tourists Iceland has enjoyed in the past decade. I enjoy being able to relate their accomplishments and those of others, putting the information into context,” he tells Iceland Monitor.

The Reykjavík Music Walk, on the other hand, is a one-and-a half-hour tour Arnar Eggert offers every Tuesday and Thursday. The tour leaves Harpa Concert Hall at 5:30 pm.

It focuses on Iceland’s pop and rock history and the landmark sites that have contributed to the remarkable success of Icelandic musicians abroad.  Downtown practice spaces of Björk and The Sugarcubes are visited, as are concert halls used by Sigur Rós early in their career and historically important live venues and artist hangouts. The cost of the Music Walk is EUR 35 (USD 40) per person.

The Reykjavík Music Talk, on the other hand, is scheduled for the following Wednesday nights at 8 pm: June 5 and 19, July 3, 7, and 31, and August 14 and 28.