Iceland Airwaves is an immersive, multi-genre music festival with performances in iconic venues across Reykjavík.
Iceland Airwaves is an awe-inspiring, multi-genre music extravaganza with shows across the vibrant city of Reykjavík. Iceland Airwaves is a music lovers' must-see festival that boasts an eclectic mix of captivating artists ranging from undiscovered gems to internationally renowned acts. In 2022 Airwaves was recognized by the European Festival Awards as the best Indoor Festival, with tickets selling out last year.
For two decades, Airwaves has featured new talent, with early appearances from the likes of Mac DeMarco, James Blake, Sufjan Stevens, Young Fathers, Sigrid, Dan Deacon, Florence, and The Machine, Hot Chip, Caribou, Dirty Projectors, Arlo Parks, Fontaines D.C., and many others, along with many local luminaries such as GusGus, múm, Singapore Sling, FM Belfast, Of Monsters and Men, Ásgeir, sóley, Sin Fang, Kaleo, Mugison and Vök, all of whom have gone on to great success.
Over the years, established acts such as Björk, The Flaming Lips, The Knife, Kraftwerk, Sigur Rós, John Grant, Mumford & Sons, and Fleet Foxes have chosen to join music fans and delegates from over 50 countries for a passionate four days of music and festivities.
Andy Shauf | Anna Gréta | Árný Margrét | Ásdís | Ash Olsen | Balming Tiger | Blondshel | Bombay Bicycle Club | Cassia | Celebs | Clubdub | Cyber | Daniil | DOMi and JD Beck | Donkey Kid | Eydís Evensen | Faux Real | FETISH | Fran Vasilic | Gallus | Ghostly Kisses | Greyskies | GRÓA | Jelena Ciric | JJ Paulo | Jonathan Hultén | Kári Egilsson | Kónguló | Kristin Sesselja | Kneecap | Kusk & Óviti | Kvikindi | Lime Garden | Lón | Love’n’joy | Madmadmad | Markéta Irglová | Monikaze | Mugison | Myrkvi | Nanna | Neonme | Sandrayati | Sigrún Stella | SKAAR | Soffía | Sprints | Squid | Superjava | Superserious | The Goa Express | The Haunted Youth | Tilbury | Trentemøller | Whispering Sons | Yard Act
(L to R) Amyl & The Sniffers rocking the Reykjavík Art Museum. Photo: Keira Lindgren. Musician Soley playing an intimate show at Fríkirkjan. Photo: Alexander Matukhno. Nation Of Language playing at Gamla Bíó. Photo: Florian Trykowski.
Iceland Airwaves is also an invaluable opportunity to connect with musicians, agents, journalists, promoters, and managers worldwide to build new relationships whilst celebrating some of the world’s latest musical discoveries and game-changers.
Launched in 1999 as a one-off event in an airplane hangar, Airwaves has since become Iceland’s longest-established festival and one of its best-recognized music brands. It is now an integral part of Reykjavík’s yearly cultural calendar.
Iceland Airwaves is now promoted and produced by the concert company Sena, with support from Iceland’s national carrier and founding sponsor, Icelandair, and in cooperation with the City of Reykjavík.
Iceland Airwaves is dedicated to booking a gender-balanced line-up as part of the festival’s ongoing work with Keychange and honoring the pledge as soon as it was signed in 2019. Gender parity remains vital to what Iceland Airwaves represents and its community of creatives.
(L to R) HAM guitar solo at Gamla Bíó. Bríet playing at the Reykjavík Art Museum. Photos: Ásgeir Helgi. Vök playing at Reykjavík Art Museum. Photo: Yael BC.