For a good number of people I chatted to this year since lockdown began, Iceland Airwaves was the last great hope of having a music festival experience in 2020, what with it taking place in November and the fact that Iceland for the most part, due to its size and geographic location in isolation, was able to manage the coronavirus effectively for a good long time while other countries were severely affected.
Unfortunately, that is no longer the case, as Icelandic authorities have brought in stricter measures around large gatherings, social distancing and travelling into Iceland as the cases hit over 2077 in a population of 364,000.
Iceland Airwaves today announced it has rescheduled this year’s event form Wednesday November 3rd to Saturday November 6th 2021.
Unfortunately, these new measures make proceeding with this year’s festival impossible. We reviewed many scenarios: with social distancing; with lower attendance; with less venues. We returned to the same answer: there was no feasible solution to deliver the festival safely for 2020.
All tickets for this year remain valid for 2021, and the organisers have actually added 25 new acts in the process.
Iceland Airwaves 2021 new acts
- Any Other
- Aragrúi
- Ásta
- Balming Tiger
- Bríet
- Cell7
- Crack Cloud
- Faux Real
- Karina
- HipSumHaps
- ISÁK
- Kef LAVÍK
- KLΞIИ
- Logi Pedro
- MAMMÚT
- Mani Orasson
- Marie Davidson & L’Œil Nu
- Mugsion
- Porridge Radio
- Salóme Katrín
- Sara Parkman
- sideproject
- Sigrún Stella
- Skoffín
- Supersport!
- Svala
- Thumper
- Ultraflex
Iceland Airwaves 2021 already announced
- ADHD
- Andavald
- Andy Svarthol
- Benni Hemm Hemm
- Black Pumas
- BSÍ
- CHLOBOCOP
- Daði Freyr
- Daughters of Reykjavík
- dj. flugvel og geimskip
- Dry Cleaning
- GRÓA
- gugusar
- Halldór Eldjárn
- Júníus Meyvant
- K.óla
- Kiriyama Family
- Krummi
- Lynks Afrikka
- Metronomy
- MSEA
- Myrkvi
- omotrack
- Oyama
- Pale Moon
- S.hel
- sin fang
- Sinmara
- Sólveig Matthildur
- Squid
- Tami T
Iceland Airwaves will move to 2021, the new dates being: Wednesday November 3 – Saturday November 6, 2021.
— Iceland Airwaves (@icelandairwaves) August 26, 2020
We are pleased to say that the 2020 line-up has moved with us, and additionally, we can announce today another 25 bands.
Read more: https://t.co/PdbSt8tvze pic.twitter.com/9AzymXYK29
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
