Tjarnarbíó Theater

About Tjarnarbíó Theater

Tjarnarbíó is Reykjavík's independent theater, a nonprofit venue in a 1913 ice house at Tjarnargata 12, on the edge of the Tjörnin pond next to City Hall. It is where the city's independent theater companies stage their work, with support from the City of Reykjavík.

The building first stored ice cut from the pond for Iceland's iced-fish exports, and it was one of three ice houses by Tjörnin (another now holds the National Gallery of Iceland). In 1942 the University of Iceland turned it into a cinema with almost 400 seats, which explains the name, since bíó means cinema.

Iceland's association of independent theater groups has run the house since 1995. After a major rebuild that added a café on the north side, it reopened in 2010 as their permanent stage.

The season runs from late August to the end of June, with four to seven events a week on a main stage that seats 180 and a small café stage for around 60. Expect new Icelandic plays, dance, circus, opera, stand-up and children's shows. Most work is in Icelandic, but the venue keeps a list of English-language and wordless events on its own site, and that list is worth checking before you buy.

Most main-stage shows start at 8:30 pm, while small-stage events usually begin at 5:30 pm. Tickets are sold online, and the box office answers the phone on weekdays from 1 to 5 pm and for an hour before each event. Prices vary by show.

Tjarnarbarinn, the café-bar, opens an hour before performances and lets you carry your drink into the hall. The building is wheelchair accessible, and staff ask you to mention it when booking so they can prepare. Because the theater sits right on the pond, a show here pairs well with an evening walk around Tjörnin or dinner in the old town.