INCLUDING OVERMONO, THE VACCINES, ENGLISH TEACHER, VILLANO ANTILLANO, PERSONAL TRAINER, MRCY, LYNKS, GDRN, MONOBLOC, GABRÍEL ÓLAFS, ALICE LONGYU GAO, CUMGIRL8 & MORE
Today, Iceland Airwaves has announced the second wave of artists joining its already stacked lineup, taking place from 7th – 9th November 2024 in Downtown Reykjavik. Marking its 25th Anniversary edition, ticket & travel packages for 2024 are available now.
Leading today’s announcement are frontrunners Overmono, the Welsh electronic music duo—made up of brothers Tom and Ed Russell—are renowned for their live set, spearheading festivals across the globe. In the wake of their acclaimed 2023 album, Good Lies, the XL signees will inject even more life into the already bustling itinerary.
On the complete opposite side of the genre spectrum, but with the same danceability, comes the beloved English indie-rock band The Vaccines. With an endless supply of anthemic favourites, The Vaccines’ reputation across the live circuit guarantees them to be a tremendous addition.
Branching into the world of hyper-pop, this year Iceland Airwaves has welcomed New York-based Chinese singer, songwriter, performance artist, and DJ Alice Longyu Gao. High-energy and fantastical, Alice’s intriguingly leftfield craftsmanship is a diverting addition to the festival’s 25th Anniversary edition. Also announced today is the eccentric, anonymous, British dance-extraordinaire Lynks. Donned in their range of eye-catching self-made masked costumes, Lynks and their crew of backing dancers will surely provide a set full of carefree, self-affirming, irresistible pop.
Iceland Airwaves also recruited newcomers making seismic waves in their respective scenes, notably, Leeds quartet English Teacher. Fresh off the back of their UK top ten debut album, This Could Be Texas, the band have swiftly made the jump from best-kept secret to widely revered, with that praise extending to their eclectic live performance. Nestled alongside them, you’ll find Dutch indie-rock band Personal Trainer, the Amsterdam-based collective who, despite their ever-changing lineup, maintain consistency in their catchy, rhythmic prowess.
Also announced today is Benefits, the furiously outspoken Teesside punk outfit. Revered for their DIY havoc, Benefits will bring their previously word-of-mouth reputation, but now widespread acclaim, to Reykjavik. They are joined by New York post-punk band and multi-media collective cumgirl8. Creating across music, film, and fashion, the four-piece historically walk the line between sincerity and satire, but at its heart, their output to date is liberated and subversive. Brighton’s Lambrini Girls are also set to perform, the electric and defiant group who have been riling up every festival crowd they step in front of. With an unrelenting voice and the music to match, the three-piece’s no-nonsense attitude has opened a special place for them in punk lovers’ hearts.
Another guitar-led UK favourite will join them in Reykjavik this November, esteemed South-London musician Wu-Lu, the project in front of multi-hyphenate Miles Romans-Hopcraft. The artist/producer has been a consistent presence across London music scenes, and he continues to create, evolve, and express himself alongside his array of musical friends and family.
Despite pulling the most exciting names from scenes worldwide, Airwaves bring attention to their home ground, boasting a range of Icelandic artists. Amongst those, you’ll find Gabríel Ólafs, the Icelandic pianist, composer, producer, Decca Records US recording artist, and co-founder of the Reykjavík Orkestra. Ólafs is celebrated for his range of influences, from electronics to Norse tradition to Nature. Joining Ólafs will be Elín Hall, a rising Icelandic pop star and actress, following up her celebrated record Heyrist í mér made alongside The Vaccines’ Árni Hjörvar.
Celebrating two and a half decades of bringing Iceland’s thriving creative community together with some of the world’s strongest new music talent, this year’s edition promises to be one of Airwaves’ most exciting to date.
“We are incredibly proud to be celebrating not only 25 years of Iceland Airwaves, but 25 years of playing a key part in the careers of some of the world’s most talented artists,” says Ísleifur Þórhallsson, Festival Manager for Iceland Airwaves. “Over the years, we have seen many of our Airwaves alumni grow from strength to strength, often developing into some of the industry’s most acclaimed artists. It is an honour to continue to bring new talent to Reykjavik and share our beloved Icelandic community with the world.”
Iceland Airwaves is dedicated to booking gender-balanced line-ups as part of the festival’s ongoing work with Keychange and having honoured the pledge just as soon as it was signed in 2018, gender parity still remains a vital part of what the festival represents and the community of creatives that it reflects.
Today’s lineup announcements precede the array of exciting details still to come. Full details of the festival’s acclaimed industry panel conversations, keynotes, and network parties will soon be announced, alongside details of special performances and partner shows.
Tickets and travel packages for Iceland Airwaves 2024 provided by IcelandAir are now on sale at a first-release price for a limited time… Price hike incoming soon!
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Check out the line-up
Listen to the playlist
Lineup (A-Z) (new in bold):
Alice Longyu Gao (China) | Anish Kumar (UK) | bar italia (UK) | Bear the Ant (IS) | Benefits (UK) | Bolis Pupul (BE) | Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul (BE) | cumgirl8 (US) | eee gee (DK) | Elín Hall (IS) | English Teacher (UK) | freekind. (SL) | Gabríel Ólafs (IS) | GDRN (IS) | Hildur (IS) | Inspector Spacetime (IS) | Joy (Anonymous) (UK) | K.óla (IS) | Klemens Hannigan (IS) | Lambrini Girls (UK) | Loverman (BE) | lúpína (IS) | Lynks (UK) | Magdalena Bay (US) | Mandy, Indiana (UK) | mary in the junkyard (UK) | Migluma (LT) | Monobloc (US) | MRCY (UK) | Múr (IS) | Opus Kink (UK) | Orbit (DE) | Overmono (DJ) (UK) | Personal Trainer (NL) | Pétur Ben (IS) | Róshildur (IS) | Saya Gray (CA) | Shygirl (UK) | Sofi Paez (CR) | Sóley (IS) | Teitur Magnússon (IS) | The Vaccines (UK) | UCHE YARA (AT) | Úlfur Úlfur (IS) | Une Misère (IS) | Vévaki (IS) | Villano Antillano (PR) | virgin orchestra (IS) | Wu-Lu (UK)
