The Freedom to Take Your Shirt Off

Around 120 visitors from abroad have joined Reykjavík Bear, where bears and their friends are spending the weekend exploring Iceland, meeting one another and enjoying the freedom to take their shirts off if they wish.

The festival began on Thursday and is being held for the sixth time. Guests have taken part in a food tour in Reykjavík, visited the Golden Circle, gone to Laugarás Lagoon, and attended the Lava Show and FlyOver Iceland. The annual Top Off party at Kiki and 22 encouraged guests to go shirtless, but nobody was required to do so.

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It has gone really well so far.

For organizers, Reykjavík Bear is about more than parties. Guests spend much of the weekend together during the day, traveling, visiting lagoons and getting to know the city and the country. Sigurður Júlíus Guðmundsson, chairman of the Bears Association, said that time together gives people a chance to connect away from the dance floor and form relationships that can continue after the weekend.

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You don't have to look like a bear to come to us.

The bear community has roots in gay men's culture and emerged partly as a space for people who did not fit prevailing appearance standards. In Iceland, the term “bangsi” refers to what is called a “bear” in English, often associated with a large, bearded or hairy man. Sigurður said the community is far more diverse than that stereotype suggests. “You don't have to look like a bear to come to us,” he said.

The festival emphasizes respect for others regardless of appearance. Its organizers also want to create a safe space where people can feel comfortable in their own bodies. “We are trying to create a little safe space where they can simply experience that,” Sigurður said.

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We are trying to create a little safe space where they can simply experience that.