Volcano man in Reykjanes
At Valahnúkamöl near Reykjanesviti, an old electric keyboard stands out in the open on one of the most exposed stretches of the Reykjanes coast. Locally, it is known as **Volcano Man**.
The name comes from the 2020 film _Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga_, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. One of the film’s best-known early sequences shows their characters, Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdóttir, performing the song **“Volcano Man”** against the dramatic Icelandic landscape.
That scene was filmed here, and the visual connection between the film and the location is immediate. The keyboard standing at the site today is not known to be an original prop, and there is no reliable account of who placed it there. What is certain is that the filming location is real, the object is now part of the place, and visitors have come to recognise it as Volcano Man.
The location of Volcano man in Reykjanes
Latitude
63.8125
Longitude
-22.7160
Volcano man in Reykjanes
In Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Lars and Sigrit are two musicians from Húsavík dreaming of representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest. “Volcano Man” appears early in the film and deliberately exaggerates almost every visual cliché associated with Iceland: volcanic landscapes, dramatic weather, Nordic costumes and a large red keyboard standing in the middle of nowhere.
The humour works because the landscape itself is real. The sequence was filmed at Valahnúkamöl near Reykjanesviti, using the open coast, volcanic ground and sea as the background.
The location gives the scene much of its character. Remove the music and costumes, and the landscape remains exactly what it appears to be in the film — exposed, dark and almost empty. That contrast between an absurd performance and a very real volcanic coastline is what makes the sequence memorable.
The keyboard at Reykjanestá
Today, a weathered electric keyboard stands close to the filming location. It is an informal installation rather than an official monument.
The instrument has been left outside in the North Atlantic weather and is visibly rusted and worn. It has no electricity supply and is not a functioning piano that visitors can play.
Who put it there is uncertain. There is no reliable evidence that it is the original keyboard used in the film, or that the production company placed it at the site after filming. It may have been installed later as a tribute, a joke or simply a reference to the scene.
That uncertainty is part of what makes the object interesting. The film was made here, the keyboard is here now, and somewhere between those two facts the object acquired the local name Volcano Man and became a small landmark in its own right.
The Story of Fire Saga in Iceland
Although The Story of Fire Saga is a comedy, several of its most memorable locations are real Icelandic places. The film uses Húsavík extensively as the home town of Lars and Sigrit, while parts of Reykjanes were used for exterior sequences including “Volcano Man.”
Húsavík later became even more closely associated with the film through the song “Húsavík,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The contrast between Húsavík and Reykjanes works particularly well in the film. Húsavík provides the small-town setting and the characters’ home, while Reykjanestá supplies the exaggerated volcanic landscape needed for “Volcano Man.”
The keyboard at Valahnúkamöl is therefore a small physical reminder of a film that used real Icelandic landscapes as part of its comedy rather than merely as background scenery.
Visiting Volcano Man
Volcano Man stands in the Reykjanestá area, close to Valahnúkur, Reykjanesviti lighthouse and the Great Auk Memorial. It is a small destination and does not require a long visit.
The point is the location itself: seeing the keyboard in the same exposed landscape used in the film and recognising how little was needed to turn the real place into the exaggerated world of “Volcano Man.”
The keyboard is exposed to wind, rain and salt from the sea, so its condition will continue to change over time. That weathering suits the place surprisingly well. What began as a cinematic image has gradually become something less polished and more rooted in the landscape around it.
The surrounding Reykjanestá coast is the larger destination. Volcano Man works best as one small part of a visit that also includes the cliffs, sea stacks, lighthouse and the stark volcanic terrain around the tip of the peninsula.
Interesting facts:
- The “Volcano Man” sequence from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga was filmed at Valahnúkamöl near Reykjanesviti.
- The film was released in 2020.
- Will Ferrell plays Lars Erickssong and Rachel McAdams plays Sigrit Ericksdóttir.
- The keyboard now standing at the location is an informal installation.
- It is an electric instrument with no power supply and cannot be played.
- There is no confirmed evidence that the present keyboard is an original film prop.
- The object is locally known as Volcano Man.
- The current Amazing Iceland photographs of the keyboard were taken in 2024.
Image Gallery
Photography tips:
- Photograph the keyboard as part of the landscape rather than as an isolated object. Its strongest visual quality comes from the contrast between an ordinary electric instrument and the open volcanic coast around it.
- Use wider compositions to show why the original film scene worked so well. The keyboard becomes deliberately small against the dark ground, sea and large sky.
- Include Reykjanesviti, Valahnúkur or the coastline when possible to establish location and give the photograph more context.
- Low-angle light brings out the rust, worn surfaces and texture of the keyboard while also giving more shape to the surrounding volcanic terrain.
- Overcast weather suits the subject particularly well. The keyboard is already weathered and slightly absurd, and heavy cloud often reinforces that character better than a clear blue sky.
- Strong wind is part of the environment here, so keep equipment secure and avoid leaving lightweight bags or accessories unattended.
- A tighter photograph can work for documenting the condition of the keyboard, but the broader landscape usually tells the more interesting story.
Destinations nearby
