Iceland Airwaves Music Festival

It’s 4 a.m. You’ve been to five cool clubs, seen ten great bands, made 15 new friends and fallen in love 20 times. You’re tired. You’re wired. You’re ready to find a bed. You’re ready to find the after-party. You can’t believe you’re here. You’re already making plans to come back next year. And guess what? It’s still Day One.


Since the first show held in 1999 (in an airplane hangar), Iceland Airwaves has become one of the premier showcases for new music – Icelandic and otherwise – in the world. It’s been called “the most innovative music festival since CMJ” and “as responsible for all of Reykjavík’s recent positive press as Björk herself”.

Some of the world’s most exciting artists, including Suede, The Flaming Lips, The Hives, Fatboy Slim, Sparta, and Thievery Corporation, have made the short hop from Europe or North America to share the stages with Iceland’s finest talents: Sigur Rós, Gus Gus, Jagúar, Quarashi, Leaves, Trabant, Ulpa, Apparat Organ Quartet and many, many more. And when the live bands are finished, top DJs spin across the city until dawn.

But there’s more to Airwaves than music. Reykjavík is possibly the perfect festival city – small enough to be welcoming, sophisticated enough to offer cultural, historical and nightlife diversions to rival cities ten times its size. Maybe 20. And it’s surrounded by some of the most unique and astonishing natural beauty you’re ever likely to see. Roll out of bed, hose the party remains out of your hair and hop a bus. Before you can remember what you did the night before, you’re looking at geysers, waterfalls, lava fields – all the best that a volcanic island has to offer, including the world-famous Blue Lagoon, favorite soaking spot of the international hung-over glitterati. Mmm! You can really taste the hipster!

With inclusive package tours from major international gateways starting at less than you might expect to pay for airfare alone, getting neck deep in one of the hottest, coolest music festivals anywhere is maybe just a little too easy. Poke around the site, sign up for email updates, check the prices from your neck of the woods, and read about what’s in store for 2003. Then come and join the party.

Welcome to Iceland. Welcome to Iceland Airwaves.