BIG IDEAS, BIG CONVERSATIONS, BIG NAMES NOVEMBER 6 & 7 IN DOWNTOWN REYKJAVÍK
This November, Reykjavík once again becomes the meeting point for music minds from around the world. From inspiring keynotes and sharp-witted panels to deep-dive chats and wild late-night brainstorms (aka dancing with a beer in hand), the Airwaves Conference is where industry heads, artists, and dreamers come to connect, reflect, and shape what’s next.
Together with our friends at Iceland Music, Reykjavík Music City, and Business Iceland, we are excited announce more incredible speakers, and our closing panel on Friday which we can’t wait to tell you about!
FRIDAY’S GRANT FINALE: BOYCOTTS, BACKLASH, AND TAKING A STAND
When the world is on fire, can music really just play on? From Glastonbury gigs under police investigation to politically charged sets getting yanked off air, the line between performance and protest is shakier than a festival port-a-loo in a windstorm.
We are thrilled to be bringing together voices who know the stakes, among which are Alona Dmukhovska (Music Export Ukraine), Palestinian artist bashar murad, and Cecilia Soojeong Yi who co-founded the Korean DMZ Peace Train Music Festival and ALPS inc
Joining Thursday panel “The Big Skip: Does Anyone Listen to Music Anymore?” are two wonderful speakers. Alex Hackford, Senior Artists & Repertoire/Music Affairs Director at Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation. Kelsey Mitchell is a multi-award winning Music Supervisor for entertainment advertising and for film based out of LA. We’re not kidding when we say “top of the crop”!
Joining our Friday panel “IQ Presents: The State of Live: Fickle fans, brutal budgets, and moving markets” is Lucia Wade from ITB (International Talent Booking). This top UK independent live booking agency has been lucky to have her for almost two decades now, and their roster includes legends like Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan, to name only a few.
Andrew Hamm, Music Supervisor and musician, has been doing music supervision sinxe 2014. His experience includes CP+B, Local Natives, One Two Many/ATC, Media Arts Lab, Melted Bodies and Apple. He’s just the person to speak on “Global, But Make It Weird: How Specificity Became the New Strategy“ on Thursday.
Joining Thursday panel “Sköpunargleðin: The Storm-Soaked Joy of Making Things” is Lilja Birgisdóttir, a founding member of Fischersund art collective & niche perfumery in Reykjavík, and trained fine artist. Also joining is Multimedia artist and producer Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, whose roots stem from corporeal mime and movement as creation.
The Friday panel “STEF Presents: Dinosaurs or Digital Pioneers? The Future of Collective Rights Management” is another industry wizard richer with the addition of Hrefna (Habbi) Helgadóttir from GLITSKÝ Management, home to artists like Elín Hall and Magnús Jóhann. With 15+ years in music marketing, PR, and strategy across Iceland, London, and the U.S., she builds global careers through compelling stories and built visibility.
And that concludes our IA25 conference update for now! Can you believe you can soon be in the room with all of these insanely talented top industry key-players? To let that realisation kick in we recommend you take a look at everyone’s speaker profile. It’s worth it! And after you do, you can hit that link below and score your very own Pro Pass, which includes full conference access, full festival access, and our Plus Upgrade.
We can’t wait to welcome you in November!
