Best-of list · Live Music Bars
The 8 best live music bars in Reykjavik, from the alternative stage at Gaukurinn to a rock bar voted the city's best. Where to catch a band tonight.
The 8 best live music bars in Reykjavik pack a national music scene into a few central streets, where a band plays most nights within a short walk of Laugavegur. We read each for the stage first and the bar second: who is playing, what the room pours and the night to turn up. From the alternative stage at Gaukurinn to a rock bar voted the city's best, these are the live rooms our editors send you to.
Four rooms carry the loud end of the city, from a dark alternative stage to a smoky whiskey saloon.
Iceland's oldest bar and the city's alternative heart, Gaukurinn runs a downtown stage through hardcore, punk, metal, drag and open mics, with legendary karaoke between gigs. The room is dark, loud and unpretentious. Best on a gig night when the basement energy peaks. For travellers who want the rawest end of Reykjavik's music scene rather than a polished show.
Full listing & hours →Voted the city's best room for live music in 2025, Lemmy is a rock-and-metal bar off the main drag with over 50 taps and a stage that runs bands and DJ nights. The burgers soak up the beer. Best late, when the rock crowd fills in. For drinkers who want loud guitars, a deep beer list and no cover at the door.
Full listing & hours →On Naustin near Laugavegur, Hurra is the room that catches Reykjavik's new acts, programming indie rock, punk and electronic from emerging and established Icelandic names. It turns from bar to gig space as the night runs on. Best when a local band is billed. For listeners who want to hear what the city sounds like now, not its greatest hits.
Full listing & hours →In a wooden house on Laugavegur, Dillon has been Reykjavik's reliable rock and whiskey bar since 1999, with a weekly blues jam drawing players to the cosy upstairs room. The whiskey shelf is among the city's deepest. Best on a jam night with a dram in hand. For drinkers who want live blues, dark wood and no pretension.
Full listing & hours →The oldest cafe in Reykjavik, open since 1951, Prikid runs as a daytime diner and turns into the city's hip hop home by night, with DJs and cheap drinks on Laugavegur. The hangover brunch is local legend. Best in the small hours when the dance floor fills. For night owls who want beats, burgers and a piece of Reykjavik history.
Full listing & hours →Inside a former biscuit factory, KEX runs one of the city's best-loved live rooms, with music Thursday to Saturday and a jazz programme that draws locals as much as guests. The harbour-side hall has character a hostel bar rarely earns. Best on a jazz night with the long bar busy. For travellers who want atmosphere and a band without a cover.
Full listing & hours →Open since 1993, Kaffibarinn is the closest thing Reykjavik has to a legendary bar, a tiny room where DJs run house and electronic on Friday and Saturday and the dance floor never quite empties. It leans more DJ den than band stage, but stays central to the scene's mythology. Best late at the weekend. For drinkers who want the city's most storied night out.
Full listing & hours →On Austurstraeti, The English Pub puts live music on every night of the week, leaning to singalong covers, alongside sports screens and a wall of whiskies and beers. It is the crowd-pleaser of the list. Best for a guaranteed band and a loud room. For visitors who want a sure thing rather than a gamble on the night's bill.
Full listing & hours →How we picked
For live music in Reykjavik, Gaukurinn keeps the most distinctive stage while Lemmy earns its title as the city's best room for a band every night. Hurra catches the new Icelandic acts, KEX wins the jazz crowd, and the English Pub guarantees a singalong. Start at Gaukurinn and let a short walk down Laugavegur do the rest.
Sofia Reeves covers European bar design and drinks culture for barsforKings. She reads a room before its drinks list, from the lighting to the stage, then tells you the night to turn up.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.