Presumably there was a time when the good people of Iceland had to work very hard to convince people to come and visit their country. It makes sense—it’s geographically remote, its culture was for a long time largely unknown, and, of course, there’s the ongoing confusion about whether or not it’s actually made of ice (an issue D2: The Mighty Ducks tried its best to clear up).
Now, though, Iceland is a genuine tourist destination, and it would be naïve to assume that the country’s vast musical exports—from Björk to Sigur Ros to Of Monsters and Men—aren’t at least partially responsible. That’s the idea behind Iceland Airwaves, the music festival that takes over Reykjavik each fall with a mixture of local and international acts.
Last year, we took it all in with a side of hákarl, and thanks to today’s initial lineup announcement, we’re already steeling ourselves for more fermented shark. PJ Harvey, Julia Holter, and Lush will all be making the trip north, and modernist classical legends Kronos Quartet will be performing with múm, who are themselves from Iceland. They’ll be joined by a host of local acts, including Axel Flóvent and the wonderfully named all-female hip-hop group Reykjavíkurdætur.
Iceland Airwaves runs November 2–6 in Reykjavik.
