Iceland Monitor
Tue, 08 Jul 2025 13:13:14 +0000Cause of outbreak at Laugarvatn still unknown
Twelve people have reported illness to the Chief Epidemiologist following a triathlon held at Laugarvatn over the weekend. The symptoms are very similar among those affected, consisting of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and body aches. It is clear tha...
Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000Bought a camper and plans to travel around Iceland this summer
Sigurdís Egilsdóttir moved to Vestmannaeyjar four years ago and is now living her dream life with her partner and their two children. She grew up in the Westfjords and has lived in various places across Iceland over the years—never afraid ...
Mon, 07 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000Dancers from Reykjanesbær crowned World Champions
The dance group Danskompaní from Reykjanesbær recently secured a world championship title in dance. The group competed in the “showstopper” dance category and has been sweeping up awards at the event, winning silver in the commercial dance c...
Mon, 07 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000404 Page Not Found
Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, chair of the Independence Party, sharply criticized the government's four-year financial plan in a recent parliamentary speech. She claimed the plan lacked credibility and was based on unrealistic assumptions.
Sun, 06 Jul 2025 11:31:00 +0000"Belonging to a community where everyone knows everyone is wonderful"
Esther Ösp Valdimarsdóttir didn’t know what to expect when she moved with her husband, ethnologist Eiríkur Valdimarsson, and their children to the Westfjords—specifically to Hólmavík—over a decade ago.
Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:38:00 +0000Want to offer tourists more privacy in the Highlands
Hallgrímur Kristinsson, Head of Business Development and Innovation at the Icelandia Travel Agency, says it is of course very unusual that plots of land are being offered which already have both infrastructure and existing operations.
Thu, 03 Jul 2025 15:38:00 +0000Raised ISK 5.2 million Exceeding all expectations
While walking around the Westfjords, 31-year-old hiking enthusiast Kristján Atli Sævarsson from Sólheimar raised 5.2 million ISK for the purchase of a new pottery kiln at Sólheimar—far surpassing his original fundraising goal.
Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:33:00 +0000Construction will need to continue for a long time
It has long been foreseeable that Landspítali’s housing situation would become unsustainable. Construction will need to continue over a longer period, possibly even after the new hospital is operational, due to major societal changes in recent ...
Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:30:00 +0000Fears that patients will have to be handpicked for drug treatment
Due to insufficient funding, Landspítali (the National University Hospital of Iceland) may be forced to choose which patients receive appropriate drug treatments and which do not, according to a recent report from the hospital's drug committe...
Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:30:00 +0000City accused of neglecting green space as form of punishment
Residents of Grafarvogur took matters into their own hands last night and mowed the field near Sóleyjarimi, after Reykjavík City repeatedly ignored their requests to tend the area this year.
Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:12:00 +0000Accusations of legal breach spark heated debate in Parliament
A heated exchange unfolded in Alþingi this morning as Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, MP for the Independence Party, accused the government of breaking public finance laws by failing to submit a financial strategy as legally required.
Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000Icelandic girl shines on Norwegian baking show
Lilja Árnadóttir Olvik has made a splash on the Norwegian TV series Bakermesterskapet Junior, a baking competition for young people. At just ten years old, she was the youngest contestant by two to three years.
Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:03:00 +0000Icelandair acquires new Airbus flight simulator
Icelandair is putting a new Airbus flight simulator into operation, bringing the total number of simulators used by the airline in Iceland to three—all located in Hafnarfjörður.
Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:31:00 +0000Lilja Sif Pétursdóttir crowned Miss Supranational Europe 2025
Lilja Sif Pétursdóttir, Iceland's representative in the international beauty pageant Miss Supranational 2025, was crowned Miss Supranational Europe in Poland this evening—one of the competition’s most prestigious titles. She also receive...
Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:20:00 +0000Witness interviews completed in Jón Þröstur Jónsson case
The Irish police have completed interviews with 46 individuals in Iceland as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Jón Þröstur Jónsson, who went missing in Dublin on February 9, 2019.
Sun, 29 Jun 2025 11:19:00 +0000Missing the Brits this winter
Rannveig Grétarsdóttir, owner of the whale watching company Elding in Reykjavík, says she expects visitor numbers for whale watching tours this year to be similar to last year, when the number of tourists declined somewhat.
Sat, 28 Jun 2025 13:52:00 +0000Young conservatives celebrate 95 years at Þingvellir
“We’re celebrating the 95th anniversary of SUS here at Þingvellir, which is a highly symbolic location for us,” says Viktor Pétur Finnsson, chairman of the Young Independence Party (SUS), in an interview with mbl.is. The occasion marks 95 ...
Fri, 27 Jun 2025 19:34:47 +0000"Traffic may need to be controlled in certain areas"
Public information meetings on the updated emergency response plan for a potential volcanic eruption beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier were held in Vík í Mýrdal last night—first in English and then in Icelandic.
Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:59:00 +0000"Negative consequences for Icelandic households"
No country in the world experiences such significant financial shifts when inflation surges as Iceland does, due to the widespread use of inflation-indexed debt among households and businesses. “This has serious and harmful consequences, and we ...
Thu, 26 Jun 2025 17:27:00 +0000Reservoirs filling up No power shortages expected this winter
Reservoir levels at Landsvirkjun’s hydropower stations are in good shape as June draws to a close, and there are currently no signs of electricity shortages for the coming winter.