It’s become an annual thing to trek over to the fringes of the Arctic Circle for Iceland Airwaves, a music festival in the northernmost capital region in the world, this year taking place Nov. 2 – 4. From last Thursday through the weekend though, it was less “land of ice and snow” and more “is that volcano gonna blow?”
The southwest coast of Iceland was in the middle of being shook by over 10,000 earthquakes in a 10-day period, the majority of them small but a good number in the 3-4 magnitude range. The seismic activity was stemming from the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 30 minutes from festival center Reykjavík, where there is expected to be an eruption imminently. At press time, the iconic travel destination Blue Lagoon had stopped being serviced by tourism companies due to its proximity to the ground shift.
None of that, however, slowed or put a damper on Airwaves, with the majority of festivalgoers blissfully unaware of the situation as they moved about between any of the 10 official venues hosting performances by artists from all corners of the world representing many different genres. From the sweaty dive club Gaukurinn to the peaceful Fríkirkjan – a church consecrated in 1903 – and the cavernous Art Museum, there was something and somewhere for everyone.
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The punk sounds of Glasgow, Scotland’s Gallus had Gaukurinn packed like a powder keg on the first night, and the genre seemed to be a running theme as the fest went on each day. One of the buzzed about acts to play there – both before and after their set – was controversial Ireland rap act Kneecap. Known for their outspoken political views, the Belfast trio commanded the stage Friday night from the moment the lights went down.
Upstart French electro duo Superjava also played the spot Friday, but the next night did a second set at perennial favorite fest location, KEX Hostel, which utilized its first and second floor for stages. The pair were easily one of the more talked about bands with their Phoenix-meets-Cut-Copy sound making it difficult not to end up dancing after the first few notes of any given song.
Emerging Finnish singer Goldielocks expressed genuine shock at both the turnout to her KEX show and regional interest in her music, which she noted Spotify metrics showing a spike in Iceland. Fellow Finns Virta followed her with a musically enthralling take on what was billed as “jazz-tinged electroacoustic.”
Speaking of takes, on Saturday, Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie, raised in a small village in the northern area of Quebec, was nothing short of captivating as she delivered an impressive mix of covers of Blondie, Metallica and more in her native language Inuktitut as well as originals at the culture house Idno. It almost became a game of trying to recognize the song by its melody before a collective lightbulb went off and the audience realized she was singing reworkings of, say, “Heart of Glass” and “The Unforgiven.”
Contrasting the historical and comfy feel of Idno and the welcoming nature of most of the other venues, the new-ish IA Center came off as a bit sterile, mainly as it’s just an area sectioned off by curtains in the same building where a massive flea market occurs each weekend. It’s hard not to imagine Nigerian/Irish singer/songwriter Caleb Kunle faring much better in a place like KEX instead of the IA Center, which lacked any semblance of personality or vibe.
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That’s a minor qualm though, especially considering there’s so many other options, like the majesty of seeing Icelandic singer/songwriter JFDR or the Belgian synthwave of The Haunted Youth in the landmark Gamla Bíó, an old cinema now doing duty as an event house. Same with seeing Canadian electronic dream pop duo Ghostly Kisses mesmerize in Fríkirkjan.
And while the festival itself was more than enough to keep even the most jaded tourist busy, there was plenty to do without venturing too far outside of Reykjavík. Number one on the list was Sky Lagoon, a geothermal spa located a mere 15 minutes from the city center and for many taking the place of the aforementioned Blue Lagoon in both cost and convenience.
Overlooking Kársnes Harbour, the man-made lagoon was ideal for either recovering from the night prior or a bit of pampering before the evening began. Offering a seven-step spa treatment called “The Ritual,” including a sauna and cold plunge, it’s something you’re not going to find near other music festivals. Then again, you also won’t likely deal with the worry of volcano eruptions at other multi-day fests, but that’s just one of the many unique charms of the Iceland Airwaves experience.
A version of this article appears in this week’s print and online editions of my syndicated Rock Music Menu column under the title “Rock Music Menu Festival report: Iceland Airwaves simmers and quakes.”
Top photo: French duo Superjava play Iceland Airwaves 2023
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 
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