Reykjavik Folk Festival starts today!

Reykjavik Folk Festival will take place over the weekend at Kex Hostel. The festival is known for being diverse within its genre and this year it’s no different.

Ranging from ancient folk band Umbra Ensemble, to the up and coming girls in RuGl, nominated for the Icelandic Music awards as "Newcomer of the year", to a whole choir, KÓRUS, led by talented musicians Pétur Ben and Kira Kira, including visual artists and musicians such as Valgeir Sigurðsson from Bedroom Community, Borko and María Huld in Amiina.

The range in age is no less eye catching as the age gap between the youngest and the oldest artists is no less than 60 years. The rising stars of RuGl at the age of 15 at the talented Helena Eyjólfs at the age of 75.

Helena Eyjólfs released her first album in 1954. Five years later, at 17, she published many of her best known songs like Hvítir Mávar and Í Rökkurró. Helena last published in the eighties. And now, after a 40 year break she’s having a comeback to the Icelandic music scene with her newest album, Helena, which she worked on with renowned producer and musician Karl Olgeirsson. 

Adding to an already impressive list of people performing, Tómars R. Einarsson, Svavar Knútur and Hljómsveitin Eva will all perform at the festival. As will acclaimed musician Sigurður Guðmundsson, known as “Siggi hjálmur”, from his amazing band Hjálmar, where he will perform both new and old songs with members of the beloved Memfismafían.

Pétur Ben and Snorri Helgason at Reykjavik Folk Festival 2015 Photo: Reykjavik Folk Festival