If Reykjavík Pride is the glittery, rainbow-covered block party of the summer, then Reykjavík Bear is the slightly furrier, more relaxed cousin who brings the good hugs, better spa tips, and a very sexy growl. Now in its fifth year – and celebrating twenty years of bear festivals in Iceland, Reykjavík Bear 2025 is back and beefier than ever.
With a growing international crowd, a Mr. Reykjavík Bear competition debut, and the option to soak in geothermal sea baths or tour the Golden Circle, the festival continues to strike that perfect balance between chilled-out bonding and pants-off party mode. GayIceland caught up with Sigurður Júlíus Guðmundsson, one of the festival organisers, to talk evolution, body positivity, and why Reykjavík Bear is still the friendliest bear event on the planet.
GayIceland: What is Reykjavík Bear?
Sigurður: “Reykjavík Bear is a four-day international Bear festival held annually in Reykjavík around the end of August/start of September. This year the festival will be held 28.-31. August. This year is our 5th anniversary, as well as the 20th anniversary of Bear festivals in Iceland and we will be celebrating!
Reykjavík Bear is one of the larger queer festivals held in Iceland with over 100 bears and their admirers coming from all over the world to mingle and party with the local bear community. Most of them are coming from America and Europe, but we have guests coming from as far away as Australia.
The bear community is very welcoming. Just leave your body shame at the door and come say hi.
This year we are shaking things up a little bit and making some changes for the anniversary. We still have the same kind of setup with three parties and two daytime tours but this year we have two options for our Friday tour. Our guests can choose between the classic Golden Circle tour or our new option of visiting the sea baths in Hvammsvík for a more relaxing visit.
We are also introducing the first annual Mr. Reykjavík Bear contest as part of the Saturday party. Mr. Bear contests are a great fun part of Bear culture and celebrate our diverse body types and personalities. The winner of the contest will become our representative both locally and internationally.
Reykjavík Bear is a masculine space for cis and trans queer men and non-binary people who identify as part of the Bear community, as admirers or friends of the community.”
GayIceland: How did Reykjavík Bear begin?
Sigurður: “In 2019 the preceding Bears on Ice festival was held for the last time in Reykjavík. After the announcement, a group of volunteers from previous years got together and decided we were not ready to let the festival disappear. So we formed Bangsafélagið, a non-profit organisation tasked with creating and managing a new bear festival.
Unfortunately, we had to wait two years to host our first festival because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. But in 2021 we had our first Reykjavík Bear festival with just over 25 visitors. This year we have well over 100 visitors coming from abroad and the locals are usually just as many or more showing up for the parties!”
The main contest will take place on 30. Augustat Lemmy! House opens at 19:00 and the competition starts at 20:30! Photo / Reykjavík Bear
GayIceland: Why are festivals like this needed?
Sigurður: “It’s all about community and visibility. From the beginning, we have been building a community for bears and their admirers and a festival like this is all about creating space where bears are the stars!
Bears are on the receiving end of massive discrimination within the gay community and beauty standards in general. But we have learned that not only can we be sexy but there are a lot of people out there who absolutely prefer bears over any other sculptural or standardised body types.
Reykjavík Bear is our time to take space and create connections, welcome newcomers, and party in a space where we are the hot ones for a change.”
I do feel like we’re seeing more bearish guys in Icelandic media now… my absolute favourite are the bears on Húsasmiðjan’s TikTok!
GayIceland: What makes the Icelandic Bear community different from other Bear communities?
Sigurður: “I think size is probably the biggest factor. Iceland has a tiny queer community. And the bear community is just a tiny part of it. But we like to think of ourselves as big bears in a small forest. In such a small community where everyone knows everyone, connections are key, and making the festival happen is truly a community effort.
This is our favorite part of the year and we love welcoming all the visitors coming from all over the world. And I think this is a big reason for why our community has a reputation for being super friendly and welcoming.
I also think we focus a lot on advocacy and visibility and we remain open to anyone who feels they belong to the bear community in any way. That way we try to make changes in the way society interacts with non-conforming beauty standards.”
The Mr. Reykjavík Bear contest celebrates diverse body types and personalities; and yes, it’s as fun as it sounds.
GayIceland: What can visitors to the festival expect?
Sigurður: “A really fun time with some amazing friendly bears. We have worked hard to create a friendly and welcoming experience that has been noticed around the world. Last year Bear World Magazine nominated us for their Favorite Bear Festival of 2024 in their Bear World Magazine Awards, and we feel this is mostly because of our friendly atmosphere. We also make a point of taking the bears on our daytime tours so they get a chance to get to know each other in a different situation than a loud sexy party. This is why we are often called the friendliest bear festival. We know of many long-lasting friendships that have been formed here as well as couples that have met during Reykjavík Bear.”
GayIceland: Are non-bears welcome to check out some of the festivities?
Sigurður: “Absolutely! The bear community is very welcoming and open. We welcome our allies and especially our admirers (those attracted to bears). But everyone is welcome as long as they feel comfortable going into a masculine space, are willing to leave their body shame at the door, and be open-minded.”
GayIceland: How can local bears get involved outside of the festival?
Sigurður: “Get in touch with us and show up for our local events! We also encourage people to join Bangsafélagið! The bears of Iceland organisation! We host many events and try to bring visibility to our community throughout the year. Our best advice is to check our website and social media accounts of Bangsaféalgið as well as the Bear community Facebook group called Bangsasamfélagið.”
GayIceland: What’s your favourite part of organising this event every year?
Sigurður: “For me, it’s getting to be a part of the community building process. Each year we get new faces as well as old friends coming back and meeting with the local community and seeing friendships and relations form is very rewarding. And on the other end seeing the local bears and admirers showing up and enjoying this unique space where we are all welcome to be however we are, and feel celebrated and wanted, just inspires me to keep doing it year after year. It’s a community that I love and want to help thrive in any way I can.”
GayIceland: Have you seen attitudes around body positivity or masculinity shift since you started the festival?
This is our favourite part of the year. The hugs, the friendships, the hot tubs, all of it.
Sigurður: “I think attitudes have been changing ever so slowly for many years now and I just hope they continue to change for the better. I do feel like we are seeing more bigger, bearish men in local and international media now. In legacy media as well as social media. My absolute favorite are the bears on Húsasmiðjan’s TikTok!
I also do feel like we see more of the local non-bears showing up for our parties now than in past years and I also feel like there is less body shaming happening in general within the gay community and I notice this especially at Loki’s Tops-off parties so I hope we are contributing something and opening some minds and making some difference.”
GayIceland: Is there anything else you want readers to know?
Sigurður: “If you are curious about the bear community, if you identify as a bear or any other way that does not fit with the stereotypical beauty standards, get in touch with us. And if you secretly like big hairy men, it’s more common than you think, come and meet us, we are a friendly bunch.”
For more info, check out Reykjavík Bear’s website here.