DIVA DISCOVERS BIG TIME (QUEER!) SENSUALITY IN THE ICELANDIC CAPITAL

PHOTOS JULIETTE ROWLAND, DANIELLE MUSTARDE

Clockwise from top left:Kiki queer bar; performers at Pink masquerade ball; drag queen pool party and more from the ball

Eight years since former DIVA editor Jane Czyzselska discovered “lesbianfriendly Reykjavík”, staff writer and travel buff Danielle Mustarde returns tofind out if the Icelandic capital is still “one of Europe’s most gay-friendly holiday spots”.

RAINBOW REYKJAVÍK

It was 2011 when DIVA last visited Iceland – land of snow-capped volcanoes, waterfalls, the northern lights and – handily for us – gay-owned and operated travel company, Pink Iceland (pinkiceland.is).

Back then, couple and co-founders Eva Maria Thorarinsdottir Lange and Birna Hrönn Björnsdóttir had just launched the queer-friendly venture. In March 2019, the pair, along with friend and co-owner Hannes “Sasi” Pálsson, were preparing to celebrate their 10th Pink Iceland masquerade ball as part of the Rainbow Reykajavík Winter Pride Festival, to which DIVA had been cordially invited (#biive).

Though the scene in Reykajavík is “lítill” (that’s Icelandic for small), it’s LGBTQI-friendly; coming in 16th in the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association’s most recent Rainbow Europe ranking. In recent years, around 120,000 people attended Reykajavík Pride – that’s almost a third of the population of the entire country.

So, almost a decade after opening its doors, what has Pink Iceland got to offer LGBTQI travellers today? We joined the team for their three-day festival tofind out…