Lava Show

Lava Show is the first and only live lava show in the world. The show is located at Víkurbraut 5 in the beautiful village of Vík on the South Coast, in the heart of Katla UNESCO Global Geopark, surrounded by volcanoes, glaciers, beautiful nature, and black sand beaches.

It takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to drive from Reykjavík to Vík without stopping. We recommend that you arrive at the Icelandic Lava Show no later than 15 minutes before the show starts.

The show begins with a short opening from the show‘s host and then delves into a short educational video about Icelandic volcanism and why Iceland is such an active volcano island. Then Katla UNESCO GEOPARK and the volcanoes surrounding Vík are highlighted with a good explanation of why these volcanoes are considered among the most dangerous on the planet. After that, the show takes the audience 100 years back in time with a dramatic story about the catastrophic Katla volcano eruption in 1918.

The highlight of the show is when everyone is advised to put on their security goggles and the lava starts pouring into the showroom. The bright orange color as the lava starts flowing into the room is like sunrise and as the lava starts gliding over the ice it starts to bubble and crackle. The most surprising aspect, however, is the intense heat that radiates from the lava and the temperature in the showroom quickly rises.

For a few moments, the only thing you want to do is sit there transfixed on the lava, mesmerized by the sensory onslaught as you watch the lava cool in front of your eyes, slowly turning from bright orange to grey to black. It is an experience unlike anything else you have ever experienced.

Soon after the lava flows into the room, the show‘s host starts playing with the lava, explaining the different aspects of it and what it really was that you just witnessed. As the lava continues to cool down, the host is able to demonstrate some really interesting aspects and wonders of lava and encourages the audience into an interactive Q&A session.

In the end, when the doors to the showroom are opened, it is usually a bright-eyed and flushed group of audience that walks out of the room, still wrapping their heads around the remarkable experience they just had in this wonderland of ice and fire. Most agree that the Lava Show is a must-see for everyone visiting Iceland.

See our video here