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The mayor of Reykjavik has dressed up in drag to mark the opening of the Icelandic capital's gay pride festival.

Jon Gnarr, a top comedian who became mayor in June, appeared on stage on Thursday night in a floral-print dress, blonde wig and bright red lipstick.

"The mayor unfortunately could not attend himself," he told the crowd.

Mr Gnarr's Best Party won the council elections after running on a platform that included free towels in swimming pools and a polar bear for the zoo.

Promising "sustainable transparency", its campaign videos featured candidates singing to the tune of Tina Turner's "Simply The Best".

Mr Gnarr said at the time that the victory signalled the mass discontent with politicians for their role in the country's economic crisis in 2008.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the gay pride festival on Thursday, his buxom alter ego said the mayor could not make it because he "was busy, even though he promised to be here".

"What might he be up to? Maybe he is visiting Moomin Valley," Mr Gnarr said, referring to the fictional setting of a series of Finnish children's stories that feature a family of white hippopotamus-like trolls.

"This is what we get for voting for a clown in elections," he added.

In 2009, Iceland became the first country with an openly gay head of government, when Johanna Sigurdardottir became prime minister.