This article is brought to you in partnership with the LAVA SHOW
What happens at the Lava Show in Vík, and why should you consider it a must-visit during your trip Iceland – the land of ice and fire! Read on to find out more about this incredible geological presentation on Iceland’s South Coast.
Iceland sits atop – and, indeed, was formed by – a significant, subterranean magma hotspot known as the Icelandic Plume. When paired alongside the island’s position over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonics slowly break apart, you have yourself a recipe for a highly volcanic location.
And yet, while volcanic eruptions in Iceland are not uncommon, accessing these volatile areas safely can be challenging. More often than not, the question of safety makes it downright impossible. Fortunately, there are places where you can witness molten lava up close in a controlled environment.
Where is the Lava Show?
If you were to take a small peek at our travel section, you’ll like find another article much about the same themes: Visit Iceland’s Hottest Attraction – Lava Show in Reykjavík
Well, did you know that the capital city’s version of this captivating, fiery spectacle is actually the second of its kind in the country?
The original – also called the Lava Show – can be found 187 km southeast in a idyllic place called Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland’s southernmost village.
Vík – as it is often shortened to – has a population of roughly 400 people. However, it’ll likely feel busier during your visit on account of the many tourists who pass through each year.
How did the Lava Show begin?
The show was started by married-couple, Júlíus and Ragnhildur, who were inspired by the molten fury of the Fimmvörðuháls eruption, all the way back in 2010.
This event showcased a 200-metre high ‘lava falls’—a dazzling, dramatic display of the earth’s power. Unknowingly at the time, this incredible sight planted the seed for what would become one of the island’s most well-visited indoor attractions.
It was not until 2016, however, that the idea for the Lava Show really began to take shape.
Rather than an real-life eruption, it was the tenacity and determination of their first two children that ultimately inspired them to take action.
And soon enough, the first sparks of their business began to glow. And one of the country’s most exciting and innovative cultural attractions came into fruition.
Why visit the Lava Show?
As we’ve mentioned, the Lava Show in Vík is one of the only places in the country where it is possible to see molten lava pouring, dribbling, and drooling in front of your very eyes.
From the car park, you’ll pass through the main building’s sliding front doors, entering a welcoming café-bar. Before even buying your tickets, you’re free to spend some time socialising here, sampling the beers, soft drinks, and snacks on offer.
When you enter the small auditorium, you will first watch a pre-show video that explains just why Iceland is so volcanic.
The filmmakers put specific emphasis on Katla Geopark, one of the most active volcanic systems in Iceland – and the place where, as it happens, Vík resides.
The video also introduces the various volcanoes nearby, including Katla, Tindfjallajökull, Grímsvötn, and the phonetically-terrifying Eyjafjallajökull.
But the video also has a personal twist.
The great-grandfather of one of the owners has their own story of surviving the 1918 Katla eruption, animated here so as to demonstrate just how volcanism has affected the lives of Icelanders throughout history.
Throughout the show, you will be in the company of a personable and knowledgeable presenter. They will poke and prod at the lava as though it were a living thing, dragging it up with giant pincers in order to show the room the incredible chemical changes that it undergoes during cooling.
With a mixture of jokes and fascinating insights, they will be the one to first let molten lava into the room – but what’s going on behind the scenes?
How is the lava created?
In a backroom, just behind the main stage, industrial furnaces rumble, overseen by a professional lava melter.
Their main job is preparing lava for the show, as well as maintaining the furnaces and ensuring that all safety protocols are followed.
1100°C (2000°F) is the temperature at which lava reaches its molten state. The Lava Show’s staff keep this figure at the forefront of their minds as they remelt volcanic rock to be ready for observation.
While doing so, they wear protective hazard gear reminiscent of Chernobyl workers – it should give some idea as to how physically demanding the role can be.
The origins of the Lava Show’s lava is the 1918 Katla eruption we brought up earlier. It is the basaltic tephra, or black sand, that’s reheated to make the lava possible.
A little about Vík í Mýrdal Village
Most visitors will, at least, pass through Vík while undertaking the exciting sightseeing route that is the South Coast. In fact, it should very much be seen as a point-of-interest in its own right…
No doubt, you’ve seen just how stunning the village is in the countless marketing photographs it stars in.
This is a village that basks on the black sands of Reynisfjara beach, only a short distance from the unpredictable waves that have washed over too many unsuspecting tourists to count.
Through the windows of every house, the sight of the domineering Reynisdrangar basalt stacks meet its residents. These grand pillars of rock are said to be trolls caught out at sea and hardened in the sunlight.
On the opposite side, ancient sea cliffs and farmland meadows enclose the village against the ocean, a vast and mountainous backdrop behind them.
It is, in other words, a truly fantastical place to visit and live. Though, not without drawbacks…
Life beneath Katla Volcano
Vík is a particularly worthy spot to host the lava show on account of the town’s history and its current dangers.
The village sits under the shadow of Katla volcano, one of the most notorious colderas in the country. According to written records, the volcano has erupted on twenty separate occasions since 2920 BC, the last being in 1918.
Since 1999, the volcano has shown further signs of unrest, with noteworthy seismic activity recorded there almost every year.
All this is to say something that might make you a touch nervous – an eruption at Katla is very much overdue.
Perhaps you’ve watched Baltasar Kormakur’s drama series, Katla (2021), on Netflix?
While that, certainly, is a dramatic take on rural Icelandic living, it does provide some idea as to what the worst possible scenario might look like…
Thankfully, Iceland’s scientists are more than adept at spotting the warning signs long before anything truly consequential happens.
But – we digress. No one wants to witness lava by being caught up in an actual real-life volcanic eruption… It’s far more preferable to appreciate it in the comfortable confines of a well-regulated, albeit unique and exciting visitor’s attraction that’s easily accessed from the Ring Road.
Book Lava show tickets directly with Iceland Review
Lava Show in Reykjavík
Lava Show in Vík
