Culture

Insider tips for a great Iceland Airwaves experience

Date

06. Jul 202606. Jul 26

Reading time

6 min

Prepare for your visit

What to wear and pack for your festival vacation

See our packing guide for general advice, and below for some tried-and-tested festival-specific tips.

Warm-ish clothing Reykjavík can be cold in November, but not so cold you’ll need to wear thick down jackets and moon boots; just bring what you would normally wear for the season. The main problem you’ll have to deal with is getting too hot once you’re inside. The events take place in a number of different locations in the downtown area and not all the venues will offer a cloakroom service. The best solution is to bring a warm, light coat you can easily tie around your waist, or a nice tote you can stuff your coat in. Also, a coat in a tote makes a good buffer for comfort in crowded places.

Note! If you think you’ll have time for adventures in the great outdoors, then by all means bring your walking shoes and plenty of layers and waterproofs. Don’t forget to ditch the Hyvent and Gore-Tex for your glad rags, though, once you get back to civilization. Still, it’s best to leave the high heels at home – you want comfy, sturdy footwear, and November sidewalks can be slippery.

Image credit: gugusar, Iceland Airwaves 2022. Photo by Alexander Matukhno.

Fanny packs (bumbags) These are great for festivals, and thanks to a mashup of normcore, dadcore and some other “core” trends, they no longer look dorky if you wear them around your shoulder.

Earplugs Your daily dose of decibels will go through the roof during this festival, so if you care about your hearing, invest in some decent earplugs. They might also help you get some sleep if you’re staying in downtown Reykjavík.

Beer Alcohol is notoriously expensive in Iceland, so stock up at duty-free as you arrive at Keflavík airport. To save money, locals tend to start the party at home or the hotel before they hit the nightlife.

Hangover cure Bring Alka-Seltzer (they don’t sell it in Iceland). In case you forget and are in need of the next best thing, head to the nearest apótek (pharmacy) and ask for something called Treo.

Image credit: Amyl & the Sniffers, Iceland Airwaves 2022. Photo by Keira Lindgren.

Plan to avoid the queues

The best way to avoid the queues is to either get there early or get an Airwaves Plus ticket upgrade, which allows you priority access to venues (among other special festival privileges and some discounts with festival partners).

You can also check with the event’s social media feeds, which give regular updates on how busy venues are and whether or not there are queues.

Image credit: The Flaming Lips, Iceland Airwaves 2014. Photo by Matthew Eisman.

Explore Reykjavík

Iceland Airwaves is all about discovering new music, so don’t be afraid to go off-piste a bit. Walk, or run (depending on the weather) between the venues and let chance lead you to some new audio dynamite.

And feel free to check out the best of Reykjavík away from the music scene, from museums dedicated to punk music or phalluses, to some damn fine cinnamon buns!

Discover the off-venues

Live music sounds from the most unlikely places during Airwaves, with coffee shops, bookstores, and even clothing shops getting in on the action. While the official venues are where the main action takes place, most of the artists also play at the off-venues, usually with stripped-down acoustic sets.

Remember that you can’t be in 10 places at once

When it’s all over, you can’t help feeling like you’ve missed something, and then you hear about what happened here and there and realize maybe you have. Don’t feel bad, though; hearing and sharing your experience with people is all part of the fun.

Image credit: Laufey at Fríkirkjan, Iceland Airwaves 2022. Photo by Alexander Matukhno.

Be an ally

Iceland Airwaves collaborates with Keychange, a global network and movement fighting for a sustainable, gender-balanced music industry. You can take the same approach and embrace the spirit of discovery, supporting all manner of artists outside your usual comfort zone!

The Iceland Airwaves festival is all about discovery. Whether it’s hometown heroes or something entirely new, around every corner your favorite new band might be playing – you just don’t know it yet.

Image credit: Crowd photo, Iceland Airwaves 2022. Photo by Alexander Matukhno.

Find somewhere to relax

The atmosphere during this three-day festival is loaded with energy, so you’ll definitely need a place to unwind. Here’s where Iceland’s geothermal pools come in handy.

Swimming pool culture is huge in Iceland and there’s a pool in every district of Reykjavík, and no shortage of fancy lagoons too. The closest pool to the downtown area is Sundhöllin, but if you’re seeking a more luxurious experience be sure to visit the Sky Lagoon, not far from the city center, or the Blue Lagoon, handily located on your way to or from the airport.

Unwind at Sky Lagoon.

And finally: Don’t forget to look up!

The darker the nights, the brighter the lights! With darkness being crucial for northern lights hunting, November brings opportunities to see the impressive aurora borealis in Iceland.

You could even extend your vacation after the festival and head elsewhere in Iceland to increase your chances of seeing the aurora.

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Text by Lisa Gail Shannen.

Credited photos courtesy of Iceland Airwaves. Banner photo of 2025 Iceland Airwaves stage and crowd by Cat Gundry Beck.

Related Tags

Music

Festivals & events

Reykjavík and surrounds

Fall

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Insider tips for a great Iceland Airwaves experience

In this article

Prepare for your visit

What to wear and pack for your festival vacation

Plan to avoid the queues

Explore Reykjavík

Discover the off-venues

Remember that you can’t be in 10 places at once

Be an ally

Find somewhere to relax

And finally: Don’t forget to look up!

Related Tags

Culturally curious?

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Vikings and vengeance: Nicole Kidman talks about ‘The Northman’

Will Ferrell’s Icelandic Eurovision Fire Saga

The Icelandic flag: Its history, symbolism, and more

What to wear and pack for your festival vacation

Plan to avoid the queues

Explore Reykjavík

Discover the off-venues

Remember that you can’t be in 10 places at once

Be an ally

Find somewhere to relax

And finally: Don’t forget to look up!

Related posts

We celebrate and fly with Pride

An interview with Icelandic actor Ingvar Sigurðsson

George Clooney and the grandeur of Iceland’s glaciers

Vikings and vengeance: Nicole Kidman talks about ‘The Northman’

Will Ferrell’s Icelandic Eurovision Fire Saga

The Icelandic flag: Its history, symbolism, and more

Prepare for your visit

Related Tags

Insider tips for a great Iceland Airwaves experience

In this article

Prepare for your visit

What to wear and pack for your festival vacation

Plan to avoid the queues

Explore Reykjavík

Discover the off-venues

Remember that you can’t be in 10 places at once

Be an ally

Find somewhere to relax

And finally: Don’t forget to look up!

Related Tags

Culturally curious?

Related posts

We celebrate and fly with Pride

An interview with Icelandic actor Ingvar Sigurðsson

​George Clooney and the grandeur of Iceland’s glaciers

Vikings and vengeance: Nicole Kidman talks about ‘The Northman’

​Will Ferrell’s Icelandic Eurovision Fire Saga

The Icelandic flag: Its history, symbolism, and more

What to wear and pack for your festival vacation

Plan to avoid the queues

Explore Reykjavík

Discover the off-venues

Remember that you can’t be in 10 places at once

Be an ally

Find somewhere to relax

And finally: Don’t forget to look up!

Related posts

We celebrate and fly with Pride

An interview with Icelandic actor Ingvar Sigurðsson

​George Clooney and the grandeur of Iceland’s glaciers

Vikings and vengeance: Nicole Kidman talks about ‘The Northman’

​Will Ferrell’s Icelandic Eurovision Fire Saga

The Icelandic flag: Its history, symbolism, and more

Prepare for your visit

Related Tags

George Clooney and the grandeur of Iceland’s glaciers

Will Ferrell’s Icelandic Eurovision Fire Saga

George Clooney and the grandeur of Iceland’s glaciers

Will Ferrell’s Icelandic Eurovision Fire Saga