Kex Hotel concerts will soon be a thing of the past

“Construction has already started on the ground floor and what we are going to do is open a new restaurant, reception and the entrance to the Kex hostel, which will be on the Skúlagata side as it is now. The entrance will get some updates,” says Melkorka Ragnhildardóttir, Managing Director of Kex. The restaurant and reception will be moved downstairs and the upper floors will be used only for guest rooms.

Changes in Skúlagata

She also said the long-term plan is to have bowling in the restaurant downstairs. There is also about 1,100 square meters of vacant housing below, and the idea is to make better use of the space.

“What’s happening in Skúlagatın is that a seventeen-story hotel is being built next to us, apartments are being built on the other side of us, and according to the plan, a cafe will be built next to it, and on Skúlagatı 26, a wide pedestrian street connecting Skúlagatın to the city center,” Melkorka said.

She hopes the atmosphere in Skúlagattan will improve and Kex will continue to work hard to create a good atmosphere, with sourdough pizza and cheap beer. Hostel guests can go to the cafe next door or go to the hotel for cocktails. She said the street was in disrepair and Skúlagatuna was building it up with all these buildings. Since 2018, the entrance of Kex Hostel has become quite “Berlin” due to construction.

Missed the concert

“Perhaps the only sad thing for us in these projects, which we consider to be a sour taste, is that at the end of summer we will say goodbye to the Kex concert venue, in the form in which it has been for the past thirteen years,” said Melkorka. They consider this extremely unfortunate and hope that the operating conditions will continue.

However, they will try to continue operating the outdoor area with summer concerts, Kex Harbor and everything that can be done in the summer. Small concerts will also be held downstairs in the new restaurant. “But the concert venue, which we have been hosting large concerts for the past few years, will end with these changes,” Melkoka said.

She hopes that operating a concert venue in downtown Reykjavik will be better. Restaurant operations are a challenge this season, mainly due to high labor costs. This has a big impact on decision-making.

“But I still firmly believe that even if we are saying goodbye to the original concert venue, we will not slack off in creating a pleasant atmosphere,” said Melkorka. However, the events there will be smaller than those held there.

“The goal is to say goodbye to this place with the speakers, the concerts and the other atmosphere that we had throughout the summer,” Melkorka said. “It’s sad to see the venue go, but sometimes changes have to be made.”