The Reykjavik Grapevine

What The Reykjavik Grapevine does

The Reykjavik Grapevine is an independent English-language alternative publication founded in 2003 in Reykjavík, Iceland, operating as a for-profit private company with a 1-10 person team led by Publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson and Editor Bart Cameron. It produces a print magazine issued 18 times per year, a daily-updated WordPress website at grapevine.is, podcasts (including a weekly Iceland Roundup news show), email newsletters, RSS syndication, and active social channels on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Its core audience is English-speaking tourists and English-speaking residents of Iceland, with secondary reach into the Icelandic music community and local businesses advertising to those audiences.

The business is a multi-stream media operation. Revenue is generated through print and digital subscriptions (the High Five Club membership program and support.grapevine.is), display advertising, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce at shop.grapevine.is selling Icelandic gift products such as the Big Box of Icelandic Chocolate ($99), the Big Box of Icelandic Candy ($99), and the Box of Icelandic Treats and Toques ($69). The portfolio was extended in 2026 with the launch of the Icebreaker App (iOS and Android), a cultural tourism mobile application co-developed with Einar Stef (Hatari drummer) and artist Hugleikur Dagsson, which packages curated Grapevine reviews into map-based tourist content alongside eSim and currency utilities. Annual editorial products include the Best of Reykjavik guide, featuring local panel recommendations across activities, restaurants, and attractions.

The technology stack is conventional publishing infrastructure: a WordPress CMS with RSS syndication, Google Forms for reader surveys, and standard podcast distribution. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, parent company, venture capital backing, or external ownership. The operating geography is Iceland, with global digital reach through the website and online shop. No revenue, funding, or valuation figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

The Reykjavik Grapevine

Legal name

The Reykjavik Grapevine

Website

https://grapevine.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Reykjavik Grapevine is an independent English-language alternative magazine and digital media company based in Reykjavík, covering Icelandic culture, music, politics, and travel for English-speaking tourists and residents through print, web, podcasts, e-commerce, and a mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Media Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)

Keywords

• Alternative magazine publishing
• English-language journalism
• Cultural news media
• Iceland travel content
• Digital media subscription

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Print Magazine Subscriptions: Physical magazine published 18 times per year covering Icelandic culture, music, and society. Subscriptions available through support.grapevine.is.
2. Digital Content & Online: Free online content driving readership with articles on news, culture, music, travel, and events in Iceland.
3. Merchandise & Shop: The Grapevine operates an online store (shop.grapevine.is) selling Icelandic products including chocolate boxes, candy boxes, and gift boxes. Products include Big Box of Icelandic Chocolate ($99) and Box of Icelandic Treats and Toques ($69).
4. Advertising: The publication carries advertising and has an 'Advertise' page for businesses wanting to reach their audience of tourists and English-speaking residents in Iceland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Reykjavik Grapevine publishes a print magazine (eight issues per year) and a companion English-language website covering Icelandic culture, music, nightlife, society, arts, and travel. It supplements editorial content with paid membership (High Five Club), podcasts, newsletters, live events, and a merchandise / guidebook store catering primarily to English-speaking tourists, expats, and Iceland enthusiasts.

Product overview

The Reykjavik Grapevine is Iceland's largest English-language alternative magazine publishing 18 times per year. The portfolio comprises a core print and digital magazine delivering original reporting on Icelandic culture, music, politics, and society; the High Five Club membership program offering subscriber benefits; an e-commerce store selling Icelandic products like chocolate and candy boxes; newsletter email subscriptions; podcasts including the weekly Iceland Roundup news show; and the Icebreaker mobile app (iOS/Android) providing hand-curated cultural tourism content with maps, reviews, eSim, and currency tools. The Best of Reykjavik annual guide features curated local recommendations across categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Reykjavik Grapevine Magazine A print and digital English-language magazine covering Icelandic culture, music, nightlife, society, arts, and travel, distributed across Iceland and beyond; intended for English-speaking tourists, expats, and Iceland-interested readers.
• High Five Club Membership A paid membership / subscription tier for readers that bundles access to magazine content, exclusive perks, and community benefits.
• Grapevine Online (News & Features)
• Email Newsletters
• Podcasts
• Grapevine Store (Merchandise & Guidebooks)
• Events Platform
• Icebreaker App

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Icebreaker App (Einar Stef, Hugleikur Dagsson)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Reykjavik Grapevine combines forces with Einar Stef (drummer of Eurovision act Hatari) and Hugleikur Dagsson (artist, cartoonist, and app graphic designer) to provide cultural tourism content through the Icebreaker App. The app provides hand-curated reviews culled from the Grapevine archive, map-based navigation with pinpointed reviews, cost and reviews for places to eat, get gas, and get art. Hugleikur's distinctive drawings provide a unique digital souvenir aesthetic. The partnership aims to 'break the enshittification of Reykjavik tourism' by focusing on culture, local knowledge, and humor rather than superficial tourism content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Iceland Review: Long-running English-language magazine covering Icelandic news, culture, and society for international readers. Directly comparable to Grapevine in scope, audience, and product format.
• Reykjavík Life: English-language lifestyle publication focused on Reykjavík culture, events, and tourism. Closely overlaps with Grapevine's tourism and city-guide content for English-speaking visitors.
• Iceland Monitor: English-language news service from Iceland's largest media group (Morgunblaðið). Competes with Grapevine for English-speaking news consumers in Iceland, though positioned as mainstream news rather than alternative culture.

Broad incumbents

• Monocle: Print and digital magazine covering culture, design, travel, and global affairs with a curated, independent editorial voice. Comparable in alternative positioning, multi-format distribution, and lifestyle/tourism editorial.
• Lonely Planet: Global travel content and guidebook publisher with editorial coverage of destinations including Iceland. Comparable as an English-language source of curated Iceland travel recommendations.
• AFAR: Travel media brand publishing editorial content and guides focused on immersive, locally-rooted travel experiences. Comparable in editorial-driven travel content for English-speaking travelers.
• Time Out: Global city-guide media brand covering culture, music, food, and events. Comparable in combining curated local recommendations, listings, and editorial content for urban audiences.
• The Local: Network of English-language news sites serving expat and tourist audiences across multiple European countries. Comparable model of providing English-language local news/culture for non-English markets.

Emerging players

• Atlas Obscura: Digital media platform covering unusual travel experiences, food, and culture with strong Iceland coverage. Comparable in curating distinctive, locally-informed travel content for English-speaking audiences.
• Roads & Kingdoms: Independent publication focused on food, culture, and travel storytelling with an editorial-driven, anti-guidebook voice. Comparable in positioning authentic local content against mainstream tourism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rvkgrapevine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/TheReykjavikGrapevine
• Facebookfacebook.com/reykjavikgrapevine
• Instagraminstagram.com/rvkgrapevine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-reykjav-k-grapevine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Reykjavik Grapevine