Iceland Airwaves Announces First Names for 2024

Today, Iceland Airwaves announces the first names for its 25th Anniversary edition, taking place from 7th - 9th November 2024 in Downtown Reykjavik. Alongside the news, the festival has released ticket & travel packages for 2024, which are available now.

Celebrating two and a half decades of bringing Iceland’s thriving creative community together with some of the world’s strongest new music talent, this year’s edition promises to be one of Airwaves’ most exciting to date.

“We are incredibly proud to be celebrating not only 25 years of Iceland Airwaves, but 25 years of playing a key part in the careers of some of the world’s most talented artists,” says Ísleifur Þórhallsson, Festival Manager for Iceland Airwaves. “Over the years we have seen many of our Airwaves alumni grow from strength to strength, often developing into some of the industry’s most acclaimed artists. It is an honour to continue to bring new talent to Reykjavik, and share our beloved Icelandic community with the world.”

Leading today’s announcement is South London singer and producer Shygirl, renowned for her mid-2000s club-pop bangers, the 2023 Mercury Prize nominee boasts acclaimed solo albums alongside collaborations with the likes of SOPHIE, Arca, and FKA twigs.

Also announced today are cult London trio bar italia, formed out of their existing projects - Sam Fenton and Jezmi Fehmi’s Double Virgo, and Nina Cristante’s NINA. Following two albums via Dean Blunt’s label World Music, they moved to Matador to release follow ups Tracey Denim and The Twits, all starring their signature lo-fi, scuzzy, grunge.

Elsewhere, the lineup sees Toronto-based, Japanese-Scottish artist Saya Gray announced for the festival. Recognised for her genre-bending soundscapes, Saya Gray’s 19 MASTERS and QWERTY certified her as a fresh new voice in experimental music.

Moving into the world of dance, this year’s Iceland Airwaves also sees UK duo Joy (Anonymous) join its lineup, a pair known for their infectious positivity and impromptu sets on London’s South Bank. Further act announcements include American synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay. The pair embrace and explore the potential of experimental pop music, drawn to the movement by producers such as Charli XCX and Grimes.

Belgian dance-duo Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul will be bringing their brand of electronic music steeped in social commentary to Downtown Reykjavik this November. Whilst Anish Kumar will deliver a taste of his revered take on house music, one that pulls inspiration from every corner - from Brenda Lee to Hindi film soundtracks.

Celebrating creativity on both a local and worldwide scale, Iceland Airwaves will also offer a global stage to a range of beloved local artists, both honouring and supporting the local community and scenes. One addition from much closer to home is Inspector Spacetime, the Icelandic trio’s whose high energy rendition of noughties disco is irresistibly lovable. Alongside Inspector Spacetime comes Icelandic hip-hop duo, Úlfur Úlfur, who have spent 15 years developing their sound into something that is more than ordinary rap. Further Icelandic additions comes in the form of Klemens Hannigan – a composer, performer, artist, and carpenter based in Reykjavik – mostly known for his work with award-winning multimedia techno performance art project HATARI, where he composes and performs music, along with art direction of the project.

Iceland Airwaves is dedicated to booking gender-balanced line-ups as part of the festival’s ongoing work with Keychange, and having honoured the pledge just as soon as it was signed in 2019, gender-parity still remains a vital part of what the festival represents and the community of creatives that it reflects.

Tickets and travel packages for Iceland Airwaves 2024, provided by Icelandair are on sale now. For more information, see: https://icelandairwaves.is/tickets/

Just Announced (A-Z):

Anish Kumar (UK) | bar italia (UK) | Bolis Pupul (BE) | Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul (BE) | eee gee (DK) | freekind. (SL) | Inspector Spacetime (IS) | Joy (Anonymous) (UK) | K.óla (IS) | Klemens Hannigan (IS) | Loverman (BE) | lúpína (IS) | Magdalena Bay (US) | Mandy, Indiana (UK) | mary in the junkyard (UK) | Migluma (LT) | Múr (IS) | Opus Kink (UK) | Orbit (DE) | Róshildur (IS) | Saya Gray (CA) | Shygirl (UK) | UCHE YARA (AT) | Úlfur Úlfur (IS) | Une Misère (IS) | Vévaki (IS) | virgin orchestra (IS)
 

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

About Iceland Airwaves:

Iceland Airwaves Festival is the world’s most northerly music showcase and industry festival, situated halfway between North America and Europe. Iceland Airwaves brings together the country’s brightest emerging musical talent and forward-thinking international acts.

Each November for three days and nights, downtown Reykjavík comes alive, filled non-stop with music, with performances hosted everywhere from tiny record stores and art museums, to cool bars and stately churches, to nightclubs and large scale venues

For two and a half decades Airwaves has shone a spotlight on 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, Zola Jesus, Micachu and 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.

Across 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 truly dynamic three days of music and festivities.

Iceland Airwaves is also an invaluable opportunity to connect with musicians, agents, journalists, promoters and managers from around the world, 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 aeroplane hangar, Airwaves has since become Iceland’s longest-established festival and best recognised music brand, and an integral part of Reykjavík’s yearly cultural calendar.

Iceland Airwaves is now promoted and produced by the concert company Sena, with support by Iceland’s national airline and founding sponsor, Icelandair, and in cooperation with the City of Reykjavík.

Since 2020 the team behind Iceland Airwaves has expanded its musical scope by organising standalone concerts, including Björk Orkestral, in Harpa and online, and a livestream festival called Live from Reykjavík. These new projects further support the Icelandic music industry and create opportunities for audiences to enjoy and discover Icelandic music.