Which Reykjavik hostel has the best live music?

Loft Hostel for rooftop acoustic sets on Thursdays and Fridays, KEX Hostel for gastropub acoustic and jazz 2-3 nights a week. Both book real Icelandic indie acts, free entry for guests.

Are hostel live music nights in Reykjavik free?

Free for hostel guests at Loft and KEX. Public entry is €10-15 depending on the act. This is a real money-saver for music travellers since external venues charge €15-25 for similar acoustic shows.

What kind of music plays at Reykjavik hostel live nights?

Icelandic indie, folk and acoustic primarily. Loft leans indie-folk (think Sigur Rós or Ásgeir stripped down), KEX mixes jazz trios (Tuesday brunch), acoustic singer-songwriters (Thursday), and full bands on weekends.

What's the best hostel for Iceland Airwaves?

Loft and KEX both run official and fringe Airwaves events in early November. KEX has traditionally hosted bigger shows, Loft runs more rooftop showcase nights. Book 4-5 months ahead for festival week.

Live Music✻Reykjavik✻2 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻Live Music✻Reykjavik✻2 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻Live Music✻Reykjavik✻2 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻

Reykjavik Live MusicRanked guide

Best Reykjavik Hostels for Live Music Nights

Reykjavik punches above its weight musically — this is the city that produced Björk, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, Ásgeir — and the scene sits closer to the hostel tier than you'd expect. Two of our shortlist hostels run weekly live acoustic sessions in-house: Loft books Icelandic indie and folk acts on Thursdays and Fridays for free-to-guest gigs on the rooftop, and KEX Hostel runs 2-3 nights a week of acoustic and jazz in its ground-floor gastropub. These aren't background DJs — they're listening-room gigs with acts that play Iceland Airwaves. If you're a music traveller, staying at Loft or KEX saves you €20-30 per night in cover charges at separate venues.

◉ Ranking · 2 picks

01Loft - HI Eco Hostel€54
02Gardur Student Hostel€42

§ 01 — Traveler's take

“A music-traveller week in Reykjavik: Monday check in to Loft, Tuesday KEX jazz brunch, Thursday Loft acoustic night, Friday KEX folk duo, Saturday Húrra or Mengi ticket (€15-20), Sunday Iceland Symphony at Harpa (€25 nosebleed seats are fine acoustically). Total music budget: €35-45 across hostel shows plus external tickets — about 30 % of what the same week would cost in London or Copenhagen. Staying at Loft or KEX means Thursday, Friday and the Tuesday brunch are free-to-guest.”

§ 02 — The ranked list

Our Top 2 Picks

★ 8.51,819 reviews€54/night

Loft - HI Eco Hostel

Loft is the top-of-Laugavegur party hostel that's actually rated well (8.5 from 1,819 reviews). Rooftop bar with Esja-mountain views and weekly live music, shared kitchen big enough to cook a lamb stew, and the single most central address in 101 Reykjavik — at Bankastræti 7, the moment Laugavegur changes its name as it hits Parliament.

Most central hostel address in Reykjavik — Bankastræti 7, the exact top of Laugavegur where it meets the pedestrianised shopping street and the Parliament building
Rooftop bar open late with 360° views of Esja mountain and the Old Harbour — locals come up here for the sunset, not just guests
Weekly live acoustic sessions on Thursday and Friday nights — Icelandic indie acts, free for guests, €10 for the public, one of the city's underrated scenes
8.5 rating from 1,819 reviews — the most reviewed hostel in our Reykjavik set, which means this score is earned across thousands of real stays

See the hostel

★ 8.41,298 reviews€42/night

Gardur Student Hostel

Gardur is the seasonal summer hostel on the University of Iceland campus — an actual student residence that converts into a budget hostel from June to August. 8.4 from 1,298 reviews, €42 dorm beds (the cheapest 8.0+ rated pick in 101), and an 8-minute walk to the BSÍ bus terminal where every Golden Circle and South Coast tour departs.

Cheapest 8.0+ rated hostel bed in 101 Reykjavik — €42 dorm in July beats Loft by €12/night and KEX by €10
Eight-minute walk to BSÍ main bus terminal — where every Gray Line, Reykjavik Excursions, and Sterna Golden Circle tour departs
Next door to the National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafn) — the underrated winter-afternoon museum with €13 entry, most backpackers miss it
Summer-only: mid-June to late August, closed September-May (the building reverts to student housing) — book 3-4 months ahead for July/August

See the hostel

§ 03 — Tips

Tips for Choosing a Hostel with Live Music in Reykjavik

Tip Nº 01

Check the Loft rooftop bar chalkboard at reception — the music schedule is updated weekly and sometimes acts change day-of

Tip Nº 02

KEX's Tuesday jazz brunch (10:00-14:00) is the underrated slot — smaller crowd, €20 brunch plus live music, and the acoustic trio is usually Reykjavik Jazz School students or alumni

Tip Nº 03

Ask reception at either hostel for Iceland Airwaves wristband advice if you're visiting in November — both hostels run fringe shows during the festival week with guest-priority seating

Tip Nº 04

Bring earplugs — Loft's rooftop shows are genuinely loud when the band goes electric and the dorm directly below catches the bass

§ 04 — Other vibes