Iceland’s New Year’s Eve comedy television special, first broadcast in 1966, is called Áramótaskaupið.
The annual program is a satirical review of the year’s news, public controversies, political figures, and popular culture. It is written and performed as a changing collection of sketches, making it a distinctive part of Icelandic holiday broadcasting rather than a conventional countdown show.
Its title is derived from Icelandic words connected with the turn of the year and a comedy or satirical performance. Because the program comments on events from the preceding twelve months, its references and cast change from one edition to the next.
The special is sometimes rendered without Icelandic accents in English-language writing, but the standard Icelandic title is Áramótaskaupið. It is separate from Iceland’s outdoor bonfires and fireworks, which are other prominent New Year traditions.