Icelandic Museum of Rock 'n' Roll

Serious museum about Iceland's pop music history, from 1960s military base culture to Bjork and Sigur Rós

Address Hjallavegur 2, Reykjanesbær

The Icelandic Museum of Rock 'n' Roll (Rokksafn Íslands) is a surprisingly substantial museum for a town this size, covering the full history of popular music in Iceland from the 1960s to the present. The collection includes instruments, costumes, and memorabilia from Icelandic musicians, displayed with iPad-guided audio tours that let you hear the music alongside the exhibits.

The sound lab is hands-on in a way that most museums aren't — you can try electric guitars, bass, and drums. There is a karaoke booth where you can record yourself singing along to Icelandic pop. For fans of Bjork, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, or simply anyone curious how this small northern country became such a force in world music, this is time well spent. As of 2025 there is no admission fee.

things to do museum
A story
In the 1960s and 1970s, the US military base at Keflavik brought American rock and roll to Iceland before the rest of Europe had fully absorbed it. Icelandic musicians who grew up playing for servicemen at the base developed a scene that eventually produced some of the most distinctive pop music of the late 20th century. The museum traces that unlikely line from base-town cover bands to internationally celebrated artists.