BWM’s Exclusive Recap of RVK Bear 2024
RVK Bear Weekend 2024 took place from August 29 through September 1 and Alex Fortes, better known to us as Mr. LisbonBearPride 2024, was on hand for the festivities. He was so moved by his experience that he wrote this beautiful recap of the event for us. It seems RVK Bear really is “more than a party”.
One year more, I’m back home after a great RVKBear, unpacking a suitcase full of memories: the Mr. Lisbon Bear Pride 2024 sash I wore at the Welcome Party, the bear-flag swim trunks still smelling like the Blue Lagoon, the probably-too-short-for-this-weather trousers I faced the Gullfoss waterfall with, the tee I barely used at Gaukurinn’s Top-Off Party before entering the dark ro… Anyway, many good memories!
This was my third time at RVK (Reykjavik) Bear since four years ago when it took the baton from the previous Icelandic event Bears on Ice, which started in 2006. I actually went to that one in 2015, so it has been four times in total! And there’s a good reason for that.
You see, RVKBear’s motto is “more than a party.” You could rightfully believe that’s about the activities included in the full weekend pass, which give you a brief but enjoyable taste of Iceland. And that certainly makes it more than a party!
But there’s something hinted on their website that becomes obvious once at the event: the volunteers. There are many events around the world with no commercial side, run solely by volunteers. But when you consider the population of Iceland, the number of volunteers here is impressive. And it grows each year! How?
Behind RVKBear, there is an association called Bangsafélagið (Bears of Iceland) striving to represent the community and reach everyone on the island. They give talks, they have their own float at Pride… Around the time of the event, it’s not unusual to find articles about it or interviews with the organizers in the local news. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the work they do all year round, and the results are worth it. Each year, they gather a bigger and more diverse group of volunteers from all over Iceland, or that came from overseas to now call it home. Some even come from abroad just for the weekend to volunteer!
This keeps me coming back. Knowing that, beyond covering costs, whatever money is left from my full pass ticket goes to the community. By now, I’ve seen the Golden Circle enough times to give the tour myself (kiiinda). I could visit the lagoons on my own terms, or not at all. I could get tickets only for the parties and save a buck. But I keep doing the whole thing! I’ve learned by now that I don’t come back each year because I love Iceland. I come back because its bear community and volunteers are inspiring and having them as hosts is what makes me enjoy the experience. It is “more than a party,” and I want to support that.
“BUT WHAT IS THE PARTY???” I hear you scream at me by now. Yeah, sorry, I got emotional! What do these handsome Icelandic bears invite you to? Well, if you arrived a day before the event began, you could have a taste of their local meetings at the Hump Day Social. Inside a fancy hotel, we were invited through an inconspicuous door to a private hall with its own bar and views of the harbor, the Harpa Concert Hall and its colorful illuminated exterior. You feel like a VIP! Having a drink by the fireplace, chatting with locals and some of the early guests, was a lovely way to decompress after a flight.
On Thursday, the event began officially with the Welcome Party at Petersen Svitan’s roof, with wonderful views of the city. All guests were eager to start the event, and we stormed the place as soon as it opened, but the volunteers faced the overwhelming queue in front of them like champs and with a warming smile on their faces. While some jumped to greet the guests in the queue, others gave us our goody bags, wristband plus event t-shirt (both with a design inspired by the Icelandic local knitting style, “lopapeysa”,) and a handy guide with info about the organization and the event itself, including a schedule and a map (most venues are central and at walking distance of each other.) A welcome speech by Siggi, the chairman of the Bears of Iceland organization, full of diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance remarks, all well received by the guests, made me look forward to a weekend with the right crowd.
Friday began with a tour of the Golden Circle, a route with some amazing natural spots not far from the capital. Distributed in two buses (Grizzly and Polar!), we visited the Thingvellir National Park (a rift between two tectonic plates and ancient location of the Icelandic parliament), the famous Geysir (and a stop for a buffet lunch) and Gullfoss (an impressive waterfall). Each bus has its own guide with its own style (Harald and Adam, both alike in knowledge, in fair Iceland, where we lay our scene) and, if you can, I would advise you to come at least twice to get the best from both versions, like a good Pokémon game!
On Friday night we had one of the highlights of the event, the Top-Off Party at Gaukurinn. The venue does its best to accommodate the bears, and this year they even added a “private area” for those who, by now, made some friends and wanted to get even friendlier. The organizers of RVKBear gave us a special surprise show again this year, with some of the volunteers dancing on stage. Local artist and DJ Mighty Bear always helps to heat up the party!
Usually Saturday means Blue Lagoon, but due to safety concerns (it’s near an active volcano and could be closed at any time,) this time it was pushed to an add-on spot. The Sky Lagoon took its place in the main schedule, a wise change as it’s closer to town, giving you more free time later, and its seven-step ritual (including cold mist, scrub, and saunas) leaves you more refreshed and energized. Ready for a night of fun!
Saturday party is always bittersweet, as it’s the last night, but the organizers bring some special guests to leave us with a good taste. This year we had DJ Rami and DJ Perfecto. Bryggjan Brewery was a fitting venue a bit further away than usual, though still in walking distance. Nonetheless, the organizers provided us with a shuttle bus running all night. And after 1 am, it added a stop at Kiki Bar, a well-known LGBTQ+ venue, where our wristbands would allow us to skip the queue and extend the night there.
Sunday morning came and the bears reunited one last time for a Farewell Brunch at Brút. Mimosas, sangría, nice tasters of Icelandic fish and meats, and many hugs before saying goodbye. In his last speech, Siggi, the chairman of the organization, reminded us that next year will be the fifth anniversary of RVKBear, and 20 years since Bears on Ice started it all, so they hope to welcome us to something very special next time. Say no more, I will be there!
Those of us who got the Blue Lagoon add-on had just a tiny bit more of RVKBear before heading back home. And this time it was not just your classic visit to the lagoon, as on the way we had the chance to see from the bus an active volcano.
Volcanoes, lagoons, auroras, waterfalls, geysers, lots of friendly bears… What else could you ask for? A welcoming group of volunteers that invite you to visit and guide you through this amazing island they call home. I can imagine it’s not an easy feat to organize each year something even better with the resources they have, but they prove to be descendants of Vikings, always up to the challenge, and I’m extremely thankful to them for that. That’s why I’m writing this! And that’s why I will come back once again next year to celebrate their anniversary, because in more ways than it may seem at first sight, RVKBear is definitely “more than a party.”
RVK Bear 2025 will take place from August 28 through August 31. For more information check out their official website.
