Iceland Airwaves Attracts about 7,000 Guests
Of monsters and men. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
The Iceland Airwaves music festival formally opened yesterday. The festival is held at numerous locations in Reykjavík and runs through Saturday. It is expected to attract close to 7,000 guests this year.
“As always, this music festival is first and foremost a fun party,” Anna Ásthildur Thorsteinsson, marketing director for the festival, tells Morgunblaðið . “We focus on making people’s experience fun, while they enjoy diverse music. In our opinion, these musicians are part of the best available in the music industry today.”
The Icelandic band Hatari. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Bands from abroad include Mac DeMarco, Siobhan Wilson, and The Howl and the Hum. The main Icelandic attraction is Of Monsters and Men – a band that hasn’t performed in Iceland since 2016. This year, there are more Icelandic bands than foreign ones.
In addition to the main venues – Fríkirkjan church, Gamla bíó, Gaukurinn, Hard Rock Café, Hressingarskálinn, Iðnó, Kex Hostel, Reykjavík Art Museum and Valshöllin at Hlíðarendi - there will be numerous off venues, or about 150 of them.
Icelandic singer Bríet, one of the rising stars at the festival. mbl.is/Hari
A major concert is planned Saturday, November 9, at Valshöllin, where Agent Fresco, Vök and Of Monsters and Men will be among those who perform.
Unlike other music festivals, Iceland Airwaves focuses on giving smaller, less known bands a chance to perform. “This is a so-called showcase festival, where emerging bands and people in the music industry can start networking,” Anna explains. A conference, held during the festival, is intended to attract professionals, music publishing companies, journalists, and more.
For more information about the festival, visit the Iceland Airwaves website .
