Australia’s SBS Buys Icelandic-Portuguese Drama Series ‘Cold Haven’
EXCLUSIVE: Icelandic-Portuguese crime thriller Cold Haven has found a home in Australia.
Public service network SBS has acquired the show for its streamer, SBS On Demand, and will launch on July 15 after a deal with distributor About Premium Content (APC).
Cold Haven follows Maria (Maria João Bastos), a Portuguese woman who has relocated to Iceland with her teenage daughter, Bela (Catarina Rebelo), in search of a better life, but is soon found dead. The tragedy shocks the close-knit island community and sparks a criminal investigation that forces Icelandic detective Soffía (Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir) to confront challenges she never expected.
The story unfolds across the Icelandic archipelago of Vestmannaeyjar, and the Icelandic and Portuguese capitals of Reykjavík and Lisbon.
The series launched in late 2025 following a festival run during which it won a gold medal at the World Media Festival and was nominated for Best Non-English Language Drama Series at the Banff Rockie Awards.
The Icelandic-Portuguese co-production aired on Síminn in Iceland and both RTP and RTP Play in Portugal, respectively.
Filipa Poppe, Joana Andrade, Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson and Elías Helgi Kofoed-Hansen wrote the show with Arnór Pálmi Arnarsson the director.
“Australia is another important milestone in Cold Haven‘s international journey,” said Andri Omarsson, CEO of Glassriver From the outset, this was a story designed to connect audiences across borders, bringing together Icelandic and Portuguese talent both on and off screen. The response that the series has received since its premiere has been incredibly rewarding, and we’re excited for Australian viewers to now discover it.”
“The arrival of Cold Haven to Australia reflects what SPI and Glassriver set out to prove: that great stories, world-class talent and high-end production values, brought together across borders, can travel the world,” added João Maia Abreu, VP Sales & Communication at SPi.
“The series stands as a showcase of the creative and technical capability both companies bring to international co-productions, and this premiere in Australia proves that the ambition behind Cold Haven is resonating with audiences well beyond Iceland and Portugal.”
