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03. Jul 202603. Jul 26
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5 min
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Image credit: Iceland Airwaves 2022. Photo by Keira Lindgren.
Image credit: Crowd photo, Iceland Airwaves 2022. Photo by Alexander Matukhno.
Want to know more about all the creativity that comes from Iceland? Come and check out the source! Book your flight with Icelandair today.
November is one of our favorite times of the year: Airwaves time! Each year, music lovers flock to Reykjavík for this immersive, multi-genre event.
In 2026, the festival dates are November 5 to 7.
Iceland Airwaves is a long-running annual music festival held across venues in the Icelandic capital. Over the years, it’s showcased hundreds of acts, ranging from popular international headliners to fantastic local talent from Iceland’s own music scene. The festival showcases a range of genres too, from rock and punk to hip-hop and electronica.
Icelandair founded Iceland Airwaves back in 1999, and today we’re the founding sponsor, proud to be involved in the amazing events that are a trademark of Airwaves. Don’t just take our word for it: Rolling Stone magazine describes it as ‘The hippest long weekend on the annual music-festival calendar.’ Pitchfork magazine praises its ‘unbelieveable zest for music and celebration’.
So, what are you waiting for? Come and join this peak Icelandic music festival and experience the magic they’re talking about.
Over three days and nights, downtown Reykjavík comes alive, filled non-stop with music. Performances are hosted everywhere from tiny record stores and art museums, to cool bars and stately churches, to nightclubs and large-scale venues. Usually the venues are all within walking distance of each other, so you can hop between them and catch all your favorite acts.
In early April, our friends at Airwaves released the first lineup announcement for the 2026 festival, with lots more to come...
Read more on the official Iceland Airwaves website, and dig deeper thanks to Airwaves’ official Spotify playlists.
The official lineup so far
Adult DVD (UK) | Amor Vincit Omnia (IS) | Arima Ederra (US) | Arny Margret (IS) | Axel Flóvent (IS) | Bana Zahiti (XK) | Bleech 9:3 (IE) | David Bay (DE) | Dove Ellis (IE) | Emmsje Gauti (IS) | HÉR (PL) | Inspector Spacetime (IS) | Joe & the Shitboys (FO) | Júníus Meyvant (IS) | KOIKOI (RS) | Liim (US) | MAMMÚT (IS) | Oyama (IS) | PISS (CA) | Pollyfromthedirt (UK) | Róshildur (IS) | RSP (FO) | Skeler (AU) | SYL (DK) | TÁR (IS) | Tunghoyrt (FO) | virgin orchestra (IS) | Yaelokre (PH/IS)
Special events
To get an idea of the caliber and breadth of the final lineup, here’s the impressive guestlist for 2025, with more than 100 artists on the schedule:
Iceland Airwaves was first held in an airplane hangar in 1999, with the goal of emphasizing grassroots acts, up-and-coming artists from around the world, and a few established headliners. Originally, the philosophy behind the festival was to showcase Icelandic music to the worldwide press, but also to increase tourists to Iceland outside the traditional peak season of summer. So, a winter music festival was no coincidence.
Iceland Airwaves has since grown to a permanent and sought-after fixture on the Icelandic cultural calendar, and thousands come to this Reykjavík festival every year.
Iceland is globally recognised as punching above its weight on the world music stage, and we’re proud of the role we play in nurturing and showcasing local talent.
Icelandair founded the Iceland Airwaves music festival in 1999, and today we sponsor a number of music, design, and arts events like Icelandic Music Experiments, a ‘battle of the bands’ type event for young musicians. We support music events in the remote corners of Iceland, such as Bræðslan in the Eastfjords and Aldrei fór ég suður in the Westfjords.
On board our aircraft you’ll hear Icelandic playlists, and you can discover more local music through our in-flight entertainment.
Does Iceland sound like falling rain? Like wind in the winter? Like birdsong in the summer? Or just like a dreamy travel destination?
We ask the question ‘How does Iceland sound?’ to many of the Icelandic musicians involved in the virtual Live from Reykjavík events of 2021 and 2020, when the pandemic meant that Iceland Airwaves was cancelled. People couldn’t travel to Iceland to experience its music, so we helped take Icelandic music to the world, online.
Watch the responses in this video – the answers might surprise you. (Hint: Weather plays a large part.)
That’s easy: Plan a festival vacation with Icelandair’s packages.
Every year we put together packages to fly music fans from around the world to Reykjavík to join the Iceland Airwaves party.
Fly from one of 15 countries to experience a European music festival like no other. Combine a weekend of world-class music discovery with some of the world’s most breathtaking travel experiences.
We offer Iceland Airwaves packages from gateways in North America and Europe that include three-day festival passes and round-trip flights, with hotel-inclusive packages available. Visit our vacation package link and use the website language picker to find other departure points in our network.
Tickets sorted? Check out our insider guide to Airwaves, covering all you need to know to ensure the best festival experience, from packing tips to pool recommendations.
Block out your calendar for November 5 to 7, 2026. We can’t wait to see you in Reykjavík!
