J-day lifts Reykjavik bar spending by 55%

Card spending at bars in central Reykjavik was 55% higher on J-day than on a typical Friday evening earlier this autumn, mbl.is reports, citing figures from card company Teya. J-day marks the start of sales of Tuborg Christmas beer at 8.59pm.

Teya’s analysis found that J-day was the busiest Friday night of the year so far for bars in the city centre. Only Culture Night in 2025 and 2026 recorded more card transactions. Last year, spending on J-day was 74% higher than on a typical Friday.

The city centre began filling up around dinner time, but the sharpest rise came close to 8.59pm. This year, the number of transactions between 9.15pm and 9.30pm was twice that of a normal Friday evening.

Last year, transactions rose by 46% in the first 15 minutes after 8.59pm compared with the preceding quarter-hour, reaching 2.3 times the level of a typical Friday.