The men-only FAB party is back, this time with a holiday twist! The popular event returns Friday December 15 at Ægisgarður in Reykjavík, open to anyone who identifies as male. Music will be provided DJ Bistro Boy and DJ Dramatik, with special performances by Drag-Súgur, the Icelandic drag cabaret, and gay icon Páll Óskar.
We talked to organizer Frosti Jónsson, aka DJ Bistro Boy, about the event and recent developments in the gay men’s party scene in Reykjavík. Our first question was: What can partygoers expect this time around?
“Our goal is pretty simple: To host a fun party for gay, bi and trans boys. There aren’t really any bars or clubs where this group can come together to party and the FAB parties are a way to remedy that to some extent.”
You’ve already increased the frequency of the events, throwing two parties in the last year, in addition to the Bears on Ice festival. To what do you owe the popularity?
“We’re still testing it out and we’re overjoyed with the reception and how many boys attend the events. This is the second FAB party in 2017, the last one was this spring and the turnout was bigger than expected. There seems to be demand for this sort of events and if people are showing up, we’re ready to keep hosting them.”
“We’ll have special guests to get us into a festive mood … the party will be a club-style event and a lot of fun.”
Have the guests mostly been local residents or have tourists attended?
“The FAB parties are first and foremost an attempt to spice up the Icelandic scene and we’re appealing to the locals. But since there’s always a number of tourists in the country all the year round, we’ve had a decent turnout of visitors from abroad, which is a lot of fun.”
Páll Óskar has talked about how he missed the “men-only” events before this one came along. What do you think is the reason they’ve been lacking in recent years?
“Bears on Ice has been around since 2005 and that has been an effort to host events for men. However, since the MSC Leather-club closed down in 2011, the men-only scene has been in a slump and lacking spaces for guys who want to go out and party with other guys on their own terms. But Páll Óskar hosted a great men-only party in the same location last year and the idea for that was sparked when he witnessed the group of men attending the opening night of last year’s Bears on Ice.”
Do you think you might increase the frequency of the parties?
“We’re open to anything in this regard. But we’re very happy with the event calendar as it stands, with Reykjavík Pride, the Pink Party at Rainbow Reykjavík and Bears on Ice, with its three different men-only parties. These are all great events but different in style. And that is both good and important.”
You’ve hosted a lot of events throughout the years. What’s the key to a successful party?
“Well, that’s a good question. When there’s interest in showing up and participating, things somehow happen on their own. If people are determined in having fun, they will. It also helps being organized, putting in the effort to have it look good and making sure there’s an entertaining line-up.”
Do you think guests will get into the holiday spirit?
“Most definitely! We’ll have special guests to get us into a festive mood and a FAB-raffle with great prizes that will no doubt bring cheer to the crowd. Everyone who buys advance tickets has a chance to win, in addition to the lower ticket price. But most importantly, the party will be a club-style event and a lot of fun.”
