Launched in 1999 as a one-off event in an airplane hangar, Iceland Airwaves has since evolved into a globally recognized music festival and conference, bringing together both local and international artists and music professionals. Held across three days at venues throughout downtown Reykjavik, this year the festival will be celebrating its 25th anniversary, with scheduled performances from the likes of Bar Italia, Magdalena Bay, The Vaccines, English Teacher, and Shygirl, along with Icelandic artists including Úlfur Úlfur, GDRN, and Virgin Orchestra. The list of performing artists this year and over their history (including TV on the Radio, Laufey, Fleet Foxes, Robyn, Florence and the Machine, and Sigur Rós) offers a pretty good sense of the organizers’ dedication to forward-thinking and diverse artists
Building upon their decades-long history of championing talent from Iceland and abroad, today Iceland Airwaves announced a new program with the fest’s founding partner IcelandAir in which they’ll collaborate with like-minded events and music festivals in North American markets. The partnerships will provide artists playing these fests with the chance to also visit and perform in Iceland, while giving Icelandic artists the opportunity to do the same in the US. The Iceland Airwaves Exchange program will kick off with New York City’s New Colossus Festival in March 2025, with events in additional markets to follow.
Icelandic rapper Emmsjé Gauti at Iceland Airwaves / photo by Florian Trykowski
The program was developed by Parag Bhandari of UG Strategies, in collaboration with Isi Thorhollson at Sena Live, the producers of Iceland Airwaves. “Having the great experience to attend Iceland Airwaves for a few years now, it’s exciting to elevate the relationship,” Bhandari stated. “Iceland Airwaves is as good as it gets in the international music conference circuit, and we’re looking forward to launching this cross-cultural music and business program.”
“When we launched New Colossus seven years ago, the goal was always to provide exciting showcase opportunities for international artists in the US and vice-versa,” added Steven Matrick, co-founder of New Colossus. “Being the first festival to partner with the Iceland Airwaves Exchange is very exciting and complements our mission perfectly.”
Through August 30, artists who’ve applied to showcase at New Colossus Festival will be entered for a chance to attend and perform at Iceland Airwaves this year (with round-trip flights, hotel, and event credentials provided). Artists selected will be contacted by event organizers with additional details in early September. Artists can apply to New Colossus here.
Visit Iceland Airwaves’ site for more information on the festival.
Fans at Iceland Airwaves / photo by Florian Trykowski
