Iceland Airwaves Music Festival

Just as you thought the joys of music festivals were over for the year up pops the annual international Iceland Airwaves Festival! Attracting thousands of people each year, it is THE place to be from the 14 to 18 October. You will find each person at the festival there for a different reason whether it be those in search of new talent, inspiration or to those wishing to purely enjoy the sounds in a special destination – one aspect that unites them all is a love of music. With over 150 artists performing in various venues throughout Reykjavik there is something for everyone so what are you waiting for? Hop over to Reykjavik on a city break and discover new tunes this Autumn. 

Summer & Jazzzzz

Summertime brings wonderful delights in various forms, my favourite being music festivals. Each year I pilgrimage to hear phenomenal music outdoors in the sunshine…well, perhaps the sunshine isn’t always present but the tunes that fall upon my ears are always unfailingly fabulous. With the huge volume of us that venture to these festivals I can only assume I am not on my own with my love for this, therefore I present to you the idea of combining travel and music. Why not go on a short break this summer to enjoy Reykjavik Jazz Festival which starts on 13 August (click here to find out more), or if you’re travelling to Iceland for a self-drive, pop in to the city and have a little interlude in between experiencing Iceland’s wonders. Whatever your taste in music there is a festival out there for you, just quietly waiting to be discovered this summer.

Iceland comes to London this Autumn

For a nation of 300,000 people, Icelanders certainly pull their weight in the art and music world. Two of Iceland’s cultural institutions are coming to London in the upcoming autumn months and both are well worth a look.

The Sirkus Bar in Reykjavík was for many years home to many of Iceland’s greatest artists, musicians and writers and despite its ramshackle appearance was much loved by residents and visitors alike. Adorned with two over-sized puffins and light features that rarely worked, the bar was even home to one of Björk’s music videos.

Sirkus unfortunately couldn’t survive as modern bars moved in all around, but it will be resurrected in London for the upcoming Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park. The annual festival, which showcases the best of modern art and film, is happening this year from October 16-19 and is set to be bigger than ever. The Sirkus project, masterminded by the Icelandic art collective Kling & Bang, wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Iceland’s low-cost carrier Iceland Express. The original facade of the bar will be transported to Regent’s Park for an authentic Icelandic experience, and filled with the art and music that made it famous.

The Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, now entering it’s tenth year, is a unique festival experience that winds through Reykjavík’s streets every October. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the festival, which has hosted bands such as Bloc Party and the Kaiser Chiefs in the past, Airwaves is coming to the streets of East London for one night only on September 19. Featuring live music from a great mix of up-and-coming British bands and established Icelandic artists, it’s sure to be a fantastic night.

Fancy sampling Airwaves for yourself in its original setting? Get in quickly as you’ve only got two months before it kicks off, but if you want to sample some of Reykjavík’s famous cultural highlights and nightlife at a slightly less frenetic pace then a Reykjavík City Break might be just the tonic, complete with a host of optional excursions and extended breaks. Until then, head to London this autumn for an insight into a truly extraordinary culture.

Iceland in the City - Bands invited to perfrom in Manchester this weekend

Great news just in is that five Icelandic musicians and bands have been invited to perform at the four-day In The City festival in Manchester.

The musicians and bands will perform on International Showcase Night, which has been dedicated to Icelandic music for the first time in the festival’s history, as reported by ruv.is.

The Icelandic night, dubbed Iceland in the City, will take place on the last night of the festival (Tuesday 31st Oct) at The Life Café/ Late Room in Manchester. Admission is free and the show starts at 19:00.

For more information on the event itself click here

Get ready to rock in Reykjavik

Rocks Festival will be held on 29th June-1st July with performances from Motorhead, The Darkness and David Gray, plus some of Iceland’s biggest bands including Minus and Ampop.  This is the second time the festival will be held and last year saw the likes of Duran Duran, The Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age take the stage and perform to over 20,000 people!

The event will take place at Laugardalsholl sports arena where many of the biggest names in the music busines have performed in the past years. Artists like David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Sting and Björk along with bands like Rammstein, Coldplay, Sigur Rós, Muse and Korn.   Ticket sales have started in Skifan record shops and on website www.midi.is. Tickets are available for each evening or all three evenings.

Thursday 29th June: Motorhead, Ham, Minus.
Friday 30th June: The Darkness, Trabant, Dr Spock.
Saturday 1st July: David Gray, Ampop, Hjalmar.

For more information visit the Reykjavik Rocks website.