CULTURE
Music
Music spreads its 01
Iceland Airwaves, the country’s most famous music festival, is broadening its reach and will this autumn, 1–5 November, enthral both Reykjavik and Akureyri.
TEXT: Alex Elliott. PHOTOS: Alexander Matukhno
Iceland Airwaves has been rocking the capital since 1999, when it started out as a supposedly-one-off event inside Reykjavik Airport’s hangar number four. Since then, it has migrated to the bars and small music venues of the city centre and made an indelible mark on the musical calendar.
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Airwaves has always had an international outlook, bringing the world’s best new talents to Iceland, and promoting Iceland’s finest musicians to the outside world. That’s how it became a favourite with music fans and journalists alike – many coming back year after year.
Adventuring north This year, for the first time, the festival organisers have decided to embrace a whole new city, bringing a cross-section of acts to the “northern capital” of Akureyri. The picturesque town is a mere 45-minute flight from Reykjavik, but has a very different feel. It also boasts a
