Shining some light on the Reykjavik drinking culture

Drunk people are fun. Especially drunk Icelanders, who all seem to undergo a radical personality shift over the course of a few drinks. (We're talking about ordinarily reserved, somewhat stiff people turning into sloppy, super-friendly masses that love to sing and dance.) But even when I'm not among the inebriated, it's still great fun to be out at bar closing time in 101 Reykjavik to see the wasted youth, tragically hip as they are, stumbling home from the clubs, usually arm-in-arm with a new one-night-stand.

Bar closing time tends to occur around 6:00 a.m. in these parts, although from our street near Skólavörðustígur, a steady stream of liquored up Icelanders (and a few happy tourists) usually starts around 2:00 a.m. People tend to start drinking at house parties, due to the high cost of alcohol, around 9:00 at night before hitting the bars after midnight. So if you're a tourist in Reykjavik, and you're at a bar before 11:00 p.m., you're apt to think, "these people are so lame; no one goes out for a drink." Oh yes, they do.

Drunk Icelandic guys in penguin suits (presumably a graduation party). Credit: Internet.

This morning my boyfriend and I awoke at 5:00 a.m. for a nice, early Sunday drive to the airport. (For him, not me. I'm still stuck in Iceland, dammit.) As painful as that was, it was hilarious to drive past the drunk people, stylish in their glossy outfits and sky-high stilettos yet sweaty and pale, doing the walk the shame. The special thing about the weekend drinking culture in Iceland is the fact that the sun doesn't fully set in the summertime, exposing drunken nighttime behavior in all its glory without the courtesy of dimmed lighting. It's really strange to see mobs of drunk people in daylight--it's almost like being back home in Madison, Wisconsin during a Badgers football home game...


This video is a good depiction of summertime weekend partying in Reykjavik. The lady filming it is even wasted herself. Good job!

Bar closing time in Iceland always reminds me of scenes from the movie 101 Reykjavik or the documentary How do you like Iceland?. It's a veritable blend of humor and despair that plays out every Friday and Saturday night. Expect massive hangovers.