Music

On Friday (Nov. 7), a collective of promoters came together to discuss the next generation of live event attendees, and how the industry can cater to their needs. Neal Thompson, co-founder of Wrexham showcase festival Focus Wales, described how young people’s preferences for sustainability and evolving accessibility needs have changed his own event planning, including the introduction of no-alcohol zones and a wellbeing hub at the festival, as well as posting all venue maps online ahead of time.

Isla Mcrobbie, assistant booker at The Great Escape Festival, pointed to how British rocker Yungblud is “paving the way” with his own annual festival, Bludfest. She highlighted how the one-day event keeps tickets affordable for teenagers and has a “Make a Friend” tent – a calm, quiet “third space” for solo gig attendees to meet new people informally and engage in crafting, an initiative that Mcrobbie described as “beautiful.”

For Thorhallsson, getting out into youth communities who wouldn’t normally engage with the festival – whether that be due to financial or societal reasons, such as experiencing the “pandemic skip,” and feeling hesitant due to missed live music experiences – has been crucial. He says that the Iceland Airwaves team directed their promotions unit towards placing posters at local colleges, offered discounted tickets for under-25s, and ramped up their social media presence for 2025, including hiring TikTok street teams to create user-generated content.

​​”People of a certain age missed out on the process of naturally starting to go to shows,” he told Billboard U.K. “Therefore, the idea of heading inside a small club inside the city may feel intimidating for them, or even overwhelming. We noticed a disconnect, as if young people here felt as though that Airwaves isn’t supposed to be for them. We spent the whole past year reaching out to them, speaking in Icelandic and saying, ‘Don’t worry, you’re welcome here too.’”

Last year, Iceland Airwaves joined forces with data solution group Green Producers Club in order to analyse carbon emissions across every facet of the festival. Speaking to Billboard U.K., project manager Brita Synnøve Holt Vistnes said the event is already doing “a great job” due to its use of green energy sources, and the fact it’s an indoor, inner-city festival, meaning it uses live music spaces that already exist rather than building new production set-ups.

Yet hosting a festival on an island destination poses unique challenges, she noted: “Whether it’s music fans or produce you need to bring here, it has to be flown in or sailed in, which is hard to do anything about.” She added that Icelandia, who provide airport transfer services, are working to renew their bus fleet and become a carbon-neutral company, while waste management is a key priority for the festival going forward.

Iceland Airwaves is an event that encourages exploration and a sense of childlike curiosity. Roaming between venues absent of intent was sometimes the best way to discover local community initiatives. Punters wandered into the Iðnó ballroom on Wednesday evening (Nov. 5) to be welcomed by a wash of baby-pink décor and reps from Marvaða, a female-focused label championing local talent. 

Larry Jafree of Thermal Beets Records was also in attendance. The journalist is currently building the world’s first geothermal-powered record factory – and Iceland’s first pressing plant since 1986 – in order to to make vinyl from sugar beets and starches. “We’re seeing all these brilliant local companies popping up,” explained María Rut Reynisdóttir, director of Iceland Music, to Billboard U.K. “By participating in the festival, they bring their community with them. I think that’s really important to our future.”

Opening proceedings at Reykjavík Art Museum on Thursday (Nov. 6), Lúpína’s set was spritely, showcasing a lustrous sound that recalls both the intimacy and echoed layering of Imogen Heap while also hinting at a future that takes in club music and baggy, blissed-out psych-pop. Flanked by Jellyfish papier-mâché and donning a custom Adidas jacket, the 22-year-old bounced around the stage with vigour, before a surprise appearance from local star (and previous Eurovision finalist) Daði Freyr earned a hero’s welcome from the crowd.

The Icelandic A-Lister sightings didn’t end there. Earlier that day, Björk showed up in support for her daughter, artist and filmmaker Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, at a panel looking at how Iceland’s extreme weather conditions shape its creative culture. Moderated by journalist Charis MacGowan, the discussion explored the tension between the country’s long, dark winters and extended periods of daylight throughout the summer, and the collaborative rhythm this inspires amongst its artists.

Throughout the week, local artists from all across the musical spectrum staked their claim to the mainstream. At a harbourside studio set, RAKEL’s fingerpicked guitar conjured a warm intimacy, while Ólöf Arnalds encouraged a packed-out Frikirkja – a Lutheran Free Church on the edge of town – to harmonise with her gorgeous, effortless-seeming melodies, making for a swirl of voices and feeling. 

Those of a rave-ier disposition were not left out, either. Pop provocateurs Cyber’s unrelenting set was funny, hooky, and over-the-top sex-positive, illuminating their ability to deliver high camp with endearing nonchalance. Producer Ida Juhl (known as Knackered) boasted the influence of U.K. drum ’n’ bass, her show joining the dots between a party feel and 160 BPM blowout.

Between performances and panels, extracurricular activities became essential stops for festival-goers looking to recharge. A Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand at Reykjavík Art Museum remained popular, while Fischersund – a perfume house headed up by Sigur Ros’ Jónsi and his siblings – offered scent ‘experiences’, replete with evocative poetry readings and shots of homemade herbal Schnapps.

At its core, Iceland Airwaves has always been centered around a unique music tourism concept: matching future-facing curation with quirky venues and once-in-a-lifetime excursions, such as the nearby hot springs spa Sky Lagoon. All of this comes together in one distinct package: emerging talent, hungry music fans, insightful panels and off-festival shows at co-opted venues, making for an enriching, unforgettable experience to write home about.