Iceland Airwaves 2025 — Index

Due to image posting limitations, sometimes posts will not show up in the month index. Here is an index of all the 2025 Iceland posts, Airwaves and otherwise:

Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Portraits I
Portraits II
Portraits III
Portraits IV
Recap
Óx Revisited
The World According to *Garg
Symposium
Remember
Flybus Flashbacks
Burlesque Queens
Reykjavík Brutalism

Iceland 2025 Recap

Tourists waiting to board the Flybus, BSÍ station, Reykjavík

The last day of a vacation involving flights can be chaotic. This time I was early and the airport was nearly deserted, eerily quiet. They have a Pylsur stand in the airport now so I just had to get “eitt med öllu” before I left:

My sixth Iceland Airwaves was bittersweet.

Sweet, in that it is always fun to come to Iceland and, in particular, to stay in Reykjavík. The weather started off ridiculously (over a foot of snow had fallen in the days before I arrived) but it then turned wonderful with warm temps, sunshine, and little wind.

I had several days to acclimate and I made the most of my time before the festival began: meeting people in the pool, attending the theatre, crashing a symposium on Halldór Laxness, a night of Michelin-star dining and even catching a Halloween burlesque show! Iceland Airwaves started on the right foot with the President of Iceland addressing a group of pre-schoolers at a senior residence before speaking to the rest of the audience. When GDRN played and sang traditional Icelandic songs it was so poignant (one of the wheelchair-bound seniors played air-piano in time with the band) that I was on the verge of tears. Throughout the week there were some good off-venue performances with madcap musical ideas coming from Mag og Tómas at Reykjavík Records and esoteric singer/songwriter/bassist/dancer K.olá at Smekklysa. Marvaða, a female-oriented music collective, presented a solid line-up of interesting and accomplished acts at Iðno Wednesday night.

Thursday night found me attending a half-dozen shows, all female performers with the exception of keyboard virtuoso The Vernon Spring. All these acts were good, with artfully stylized presentations.

Friday I saw fourteen acts, but most were undistinguished. Sean Solomon won originality points for his retro-nerd VHS animation duets, as did Mermaid Chunky for their trippy genre-surfing compositions. Magnús Jóhann, another tremendous pianist/composer, went above and beyond the call of duty when he played a Ondes Martenot.

Saturday night I bounced around venues (and watched Ms Obama bounce around) until I settled in at Fríkirkjan to listen to Hania Derej. At the age of 20, she has already developed into a formidable artist—a musical virtuoso on piano, keys and composition. Hers is a name to watch for.

And, fittingly, the final act I saw was JFDR. She has had quite a career since I first saw her as a teenager with Pascal Pinon in 2009. Since then I’ve followed her musical development: three Pascal Pinon albums, three Samaris albums, a Gangly EP and dozens of collaborations in addition to her career as a solo artist and composer for film and TV. Jofriður has had no shortage of musical and lyrical ideas. In the last few years it seemed to me that she was going a bit sideways with her Ableton-enabled compositions so it was a special treat to see her get back to her roots, performing with an ensemble of friends playing mostly acoustic guitars and singing beautiful harmonies in an intimate setting.

One bitter aspect of Iceland Airwaves for me this year is the alarming drop in attendance, especially among younger people. Despite official claims to the contrary (and excepting the smallest clubs), most venues were half to two-thirds empty. While I was usually the oldest person in the room, my 56-year-old self who attended Airwaves in 2006 would be about average in age for the grey-haired crowd at the festival this year. With a few notable exceptions (Geðbrigði, Hania) the acts were trending older as well. The festival organizers are acutely aware of the fact and have taken steps to address the issue. Another down-trend is the dearth of real bands—a majority of the acts were solos or duos, techno and/or rap, using samples and pre-programmed beats. That was in an inverse ratio to the Airwaves of 20 years ago and even noticeably different than three years ago. The bands that I did see were mostly good. I had used the Iceland Airwaves video links to pre-screen the acts; it may be that the mostly lame videos put me off from seeing some really good shows. 

The big question: “Was it worth it?”

Again, bittersweet. The best shows were as good as the best of past Airwaves. The original concept artists were also very good. The genre-stylists were mostly forgettable. The main venues were good, but the smaller ones (Bird, Gaukurrin) were awkward, although you could get a better view (and sound) at Bird by standing outside and listening to the PA feed and looking through the plate glass windows! With the exception of hideous modern architecture in the old harbour area, Reykjavík itself remains an interesting and vibrant place, especially so for such a small city.

The almost-as-big question: “Will I do it again?”

Probably not next year.

As I get older, traveling becomes more of a challenge. The whole music scene in general is also rapidly undergoing changes with the stranglehold of corporate interests dominating streaming and exposure with AI music the wildcard in the mix. If IAW can successfully re-invent itself (and the world doesn’t blow up), it might be worth a trip in 2027. I was sitting in a hot-pot talking with Anna Róshildur in Vesturbæjarlaug and she mentioned the very restrictive audition process for a local act to get into Airwaves off-venue schedule, to say nothing about the regular venues. Evidently there is an underground scene in Reykjavík for young performers but it is hard for an outsider to crack, and it is certainly not aimed at foreign septuagenarians. I’ve written about these issues before, and no progress has been made since. Any changes in the IAW format are, of course, dependent on the economy, local talent pool, and numerous other variables. Still, it would be nice for more smaller non-bar, presentation options. Sorely missed were the laid-back venues Hitt Husið, Norræna húsið and the bonkers breakfast shows at Prikið. Other main venues absent this year were Gamla Bíó and the National Theatre, both of which had other scheduling. Nasa was back, however, and Harpa did have some big, separately ticketed, shows but there were no smaller shows in Kaldalón or Norðurljós as in past years.

Looking back over its 26-year history, its amazing that Iceland Airwaves even still exists, so I really can’t complain. As long as there are the dreamers who create music, and those who find inspiration and solace in it, there is still hope for humanity.

Troy, Tina and Barry are entranced by Hania Derej, Frikirkjan, 8 November, 2025

Óx Revisited

This beguiling alcove on Laugavegur hides a delectable secret:

Press the lion’s tongue on the wall, state your intent and, once you’ve been buzzed in, traverse a long hallway and down a flight of stairs to Amma Don, a stylish mid-century-modern apartment where congenial hosts await to fulfill your every gustatory desire:

An ordinary bookcase hides another secret:

Óx, a secret restaurant where you will be wined, dined and sublimed for the next four hours:

The exotic tasting courses are magically prepared before your eyes:

The Óx team’s efforts ensures success:

And a curtain call acknowledges the patron’s ovation:

This was my second trip to this legendary restaurant.

The first time I was a timid thrill-seeker, this time I was a seasoned gourmand. As we chatted over prosecco awaiting for the tasting to begin I assured my fellow patrons that yes, it is an experience worthy of the hype. After we entered the restaurant proper our half of the U-shaped table consisted of a young woman from California with her spouse (who was from New Zealand), a professional couple from London (she was in marketing, he worked in ‘the city’) and a professional couple from Singapore (the other diners were too far away for me to interact with. Table talk was lively, I had a particularly intense conversation with the Singaporean representative from AMD and his wife, who ran an optical clinic (I shared my macular degeneration prevention strategies with her). He was interested in my retirement income and magic mushrooms, not necessarily in that order! We coasted on, drinking til well past ten when I left with a quote from Laxness.

Symposium

I experienced an unanticipated event during my recent trip to Iceland: Symposium on Halldór Laxness: The Nobel Prize for 70 Years. Louise Calais, the Swedish Ambassador to Iceland, opened an exhibition about the Nobel Prize in the lobby of the Nordic House before the symposium began:

Program of the symposium:

Salka – Love and death. The writer Halldór Guðmundsson discussed a new work based on the novel Salka Valka with Unnur Ösp Stefánsdóttir, actor and playwright. Unnar performed a sample from her work.

Excellence from the Outskirts: What a Difference a Nobel Prize Can Make, an overview by Mads Rosendahl Thomsen, professor of literature at Aarhus University and expert in the system of world literature.

The Glacier is Open: On Young People’s Reading of Halldór Laxness’s Works in the Light of Christianity Under the Glacier, by Anna Rós Árnadóttir, literary scholar and poet, read by a young man, perhaps one of her students?

Only Mads speech was in English, but I managed to catch a a little bit from the other presenters. The young man nervously talking about Úa, the female primal force in Under the Glacier, was a highlight. After the speeches there was socializing with drinks and confections.

I was somehow annexed to a trio of women “walking back to town” and we shared some life experiences as we strolled past Suðurjörn, splitting up as we reached Skothúsvegur with two of the women (sisters) going west and the remaining one and I going east. We continued our discussion along Tjörnin until we reached Fríkirkjan (and my apartment) where I reluctantly said goodbye.

The World According to *Garg

… I have this this recurring dream, I keep imagining myself as an equal to all the humans around me, I try to give myself the same pedestal to stand on… ~ *Garg #03

One pleasant and enlightening episode on my recent stay in Reykjavík was a stop in the Garg bookstore on Hofsvallagata.

Helga Dögg Ólafsdóttir and her twin sister Alma opened this shop which focuses on feminist, queer, self-published, and secondhand books as well as supporting a literary scene. Garg periodically publishes broadsides concerning various topics and also hosts reading and other events.

We spoke about several things including ‘The Atom Poets’ as well as her older sister Auður, no stranger to this blog. Most of Garg’s stock is in Icelandic, but that didn’t prevent me from purchasing a slim volume of poetry by Þórbergur Þórðarson (author of The Stones Speak) for my amateur translation efforts. The shop also displays various art works for those seeking a true Icelandic souvenir.

Helga is well-spoken and engaging, definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in modern Icelandic literature.

Image of Helga by Art Bicnick, Reykjavík Grapevine

Airwaves Portraits - IV

Moina Moin, Mermaid Chunky:

Phone Ponderer, Fríkirkjan:

Pub Patrons, Austurvöllur:

Agnes Ósk Ægisdóttir, Geðbrigði:

Airwaves Portraits — III

Non-performers, just various people experiencing the 2025 Iceland Airwaves festival:

Airwaves Portraits — II

Freya:

Mr Obama

Ms Obama:

Mr and Ms Obama:

JFDR:

Airwaves Portraits — I

GDRN:

Elin:

Hania:

Katrín:

Lúpína:

Salka and Hekla:

Iceland 2025 — Day Ten

A daytime moon was shining over Vesturbæjarlaug this morning.

Notice the woman/fish statue to the left of the doors.

Had some lively conversations in the pool’s biggest hotpot with some fellow Iceland Airwaves attendees: Troy from Texas who had known Tina and Barry (see yesterday’s post) for years. A German and a Finnish woman were very sociable as well. After a while Troy left (to do laps) and the talk turned from music to horses, so I made my exit as well. After an afternoon nap I attended another play in Tjarnarbíó (in English this time) Dead Air by Álfrún Rose:

Since Alfie’s dad died, he’s visited everyone’s dreams but hers. Rude. Desperate to talk to him, she uses AiR, an AI chatbot for the dead. A heartfelt, funny, and glitchy deep dive into grief, ghosts, and digital obsession.~ from the Airwaves guide

A good premise, somewhat defeated by an unintelligible voice-shifting device that Álfrún used when she was ‘streaming’ her dead father. The hour+ performance became a litany of dysfunctional family tropes, even more disturbing because I suspect they were all true. Because the show started late and ran over, I missed getting in to see Pussy Riot at Smekkleysa.

No worries, more music tonight!


Ms Obama — Heavy bass and dub step, my standing next to the sub woofers in Iðno to get a shot might have affected the sharpness of the pictures!

Hania Derej — A young pianist/composer from Poland:

She was completely enveloped in her music, scarcely raising her head from the keys. After her fantastic performance she was overcome with emotion from the enthusiastic response of the Fríkirkjan crowd.

JFDR

Of all the Icelandic performers I’ve followed over the years, Jofriður Ákadóttir is, simply, my favorite. From a plucky schoolgirl to a mature performer, following her development in music and lyrics has been an education for me in genres I probably would have never explored.

Dozens of FITK posts have been written over the years about her (and her twin sister Ásthildur), Pascal Pinon, Samaris, Gangly, and, of course, JFDR. She had a new ‘band’ tonight composed of friends and previous collaborators as well as her husband Josh.

They performed some new songs, one of which had intricate harmonies and was simply breath-taking. The packed church was spellbound. Jofriður also did My Work, Spectator and The Orchid, each with a new arrangement. She was in a great mood and this was a perfect setting for her performing style:

The group received a well-deserved ovation, one of the most memorable of the numerous Iceland Airwaves shows I’ve seen over the last 20 years:

I would have gone out again to see some more acts but it would have been a letdown after this.

My 2025 Iceland Airwaves is over.

More Icelandic trip coverage will be posted in the coming weeks after I’ve returned home.

Iceland 2025 — Day Nine

After the pool today I took another afternoon nap, I am starting to feel my age.

Afterwards I did some random off-venue hopping seeing chantuse Frið at Smekkleysa:

Mukka (A Rock Band!) at Hresso, and rockers Markús & The Diversion Sessions at 12 Tónar:

The first Iceland Airwaves act I saw tonight (at Fríkirkjan) was Sean Solomon from California. Sean is sort of a retro-techno geek, accompanying himself on guitar and VHS tape player (“If I make a mistake I’ll have to rewind”) with his clever animations and glitchy videos. Sean is also a cartoonist of some note. Hard to explain his act but it was really quite touching at times:

Between sets I met Tina and Barry, a couple from Yorkshire, who have been in the background of numerous photos I’ve taken at Airwaves in years past. We had a nice talk comparing notes on past shows.

Here they are, sitting behind The President of Iceland and the director of Iceland Airwaves: 

Next was Iðunn Einars, a singer/songwriter, with a three-piece band. She was great singer, even getting down with a little boog-a-loo:

And then: Magnús Jóhann.

Great keyboardist and composer. I saw him at Lucky Records in 2023 and was blown away. If switching between piano and synths wasn’t enough he played a FREAKIN’ ONDES MARTENOT!

After the overwhelming experience of Magnús I went on a tour of short stops at various venues:

Outdoor Disco, The American Bar, last night:

Nabeel, Iraqi/American Grunge featuring Yasir Razak at Iðno:

Atli, an earnest troubadour at Bird:

ian, Dallas-based rapper with great rapport with his fan base. In The Art Museum:

Jana, gave it a game effort, but the noisy and overcrowded Gaukurinn was not her ideal venue:

Babymorroco, auto-tune raps and gymnastics at the Kolaport venue:

Flesh Machine, hard grooves at Bird:

The final show I saw tonight was in Iðno: Mermaid Chunky. A techno/acoustic duo, these women are from another planet, or maybe Gloucestershire. Intense, funny, original and mesmerizing:

A great way to end the night.