NASA
November 6-7 2025
9:30 – 17:00
Iceland Airwaves is a globally recognised brand with an outstanding reputation for shining light on new music talent.
This year’s conference welcomes music industry delegates and press from all over the world with great speakers and opportunities for networking.
The conference is held in collaboration with Iceland Music, Reykjavík Music City and Business Iceland.
Press and photographers should visit the press page here.
Please note, we reserve the right to make changes in rates and schedule. The industry pass does not guarantee access to potential invite only events, other limited-capacity workshops and networking events or concerts after the capacity is filled. Some of the networking sessions may require enrollment.
Take a peek at what’s to come!
Interested in what we had on last year? Click here.
On 24 October 1975, 90% of Icelandic women left their workplaces and homes to join a nationwide strike that became a catalyst for change and set the country on a path toward becoming one of the most gender-equal societies in the world.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of that historic day, Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, joins Althea Legaspi, Senior News Editor at Rolling Stone, for a fireside chat reflecting on the legacy of the Women’s Strike and its lasting impact on Icelandic culture. Their conversation explores how the spirit of the strike continues to shape women’s voices and visibility across the arts, and the role of culture in advancing equality for generations to come.
Speaker
Halla Tómasdóttir (President of Iceland)
Moderator
Althea Legaspi (Rolling Stone)
Streaming, swiping, skipping… today’s listeners move fast. Songs get a few seconds to make an impression before the next one rolls in. Attention spans are short, and music therefore often consumed in pieces rather than whole. Sync agents and music supervisors work in this reality too: tracks that hit quickly are more likely to get noticed. But once a song is placed, the dynamic shifts. In film, TV, and games, audiences are tuned in, giving music the rare chance to unfold, build, and make a deeper impact. This session explores the balance: how skip culture shapes what gets placed, and how a placement still offers a space for real, lasting musical moments.
Moderator
Sophie Williams (Billboard UK)
Panelists
Alex Hackford (Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation)
Inga Magnes Weisshappel (Wise Music Iceland)
Kelsey Mitchell (Ignition Creative)
Sindri Már Sigfússon (Musician)
Without the grassroots, there is no music industry. These communities nurture tomorrow’s artists and train the future cultural workforce. They are the foundation of a thriving culture—yet across Europe, including Reykjavík, they are under pressure, often working with limited resources and little security.
This panel explores how the grassroots can be supported without being suffocated, what kinds of support make a real difference, and ask how we ensure the grassroots are treated as essential cultural infrastructure—not just a hobby.
Moderator
David Fricke (MOJO/Sirius XM Radio)
Panelists
Ása Berglind Hjálmarsdóttir (Member of Parliament)
Adam Williams (Clwb Ifor Bach/Clwb Music)
Albert F Helmig (Head of Booking)
Olivier Tura (Trempo)
Ólöf Rún Benediktsdóttir (Norðanpaunk)
In a crowded field, the tracks that land aren’t just catchy, they’re unmistakable!
This panel dives into how today’s industry curators are listening with intent, whether it’s hyper-local sounds or untranslatable lyrics, we’re all looking for tracks with a why. We’ll dig into how artists and their teams can embrace the quirks that set them apart, and why going global starts with sounding unique.
Moderator
Erica Campbell (Music Editor)
Panelists
Andrew Hamm (Music Supervisor)
Árni Þór Árnason (OPIA Community/Ólafur Arnalds)
Cherish Kaya (Dirty Hit/ Self Esteem/Jockstrap)
Lauren Harman (Very Well)
Icelandic creativity is dichotomous and extreme. It happens in battered industrial complexes on Grandi and in the summer cottages strewn across the barren hillsides of subarctic mountains. In the winter the weather dictates all moods and dissolves all plans, and the joy of making art provides the only shelter from the enraged storm. In the summer we clock out at 13°C, set sails to the countryside and reply to our next email in late August, when the sun finally starts setting before 10pm.
This panel brings together artists from across disciplines to reflect on how Iceland’s extremes – its weather, its light, its stillness and its storms – continue to shape a creative culture built on collaboration, intuition, and the stubborn joy of making something out of nothing.
Moderator
Charis McGowan (Journalist)
Panelists
Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney (Performance artist, filmmaker, producer)
Jóhannes Bjarki Bjarkason (The Reykjavík Grapevine)
Lilja Birgisdóttir (Fischersund Ehf.)
Páll Óskar (Artist)
In an era defined by shifting royalty models, AI, self managed careers and the looming uncertainty of promotional platforms like TikTok, where do CMOs stand in 2025? Are they outdated gatekeepers, or essential infrastructure for protecting creators in a fragmented digital economy? This panel brings together voices from both sides of the table to ask if collective rights advocacy can still deliver in a world where artists are expected to be their own marketers, managers, and monetizers. What do artists actually need now? Can CMOs evolve with the times? And what’s at stake if they don’t?
Moderator
Pétur Jónsson (Medialux Music)
Panelists
Guðrún Björk Bjarnadóttir (STEF)
Hrefna Helgadóttir (Habbi) (GLITSKÝ Management)
Sandra Perens (Tier Music Publishing)
This is not your regular AI panel, but a session that cuts through the noise with a practical roadmap for how the music industry can actually work with AI today. From personalized fan engagement to smarter A&R, rights management, and smarter business processes, we’ll explore the real-world tools already reshaping how music is marketed, monetized, and managed. This isn’t about replacing people, it’s about unlocking new potential through creative, strategic partnership.
Moderator
Daddi Guðbergsson (E4)
Panelists
Jeremy Silver (Mediaclarity Consultancy)
Saga Úlfarsdóttir (AI Consultant)
Virginie Berger (MUSICx)
A new generation is here, and they are different. As music habits and consumption splinter and youth culture evolves, showcase festivals are struggling to keep up. This conversation goes deeper than outreach, it’s about co-creating with a new generation and sparking something they want to be part of. From inclusive spaces to co-creation and content ownership, we’ll unpack how to build real connections and inspire the next generation to show up, speak up, and take part.
Moderator
Rikke Andersen (SPOT Festival)
Panelists
Isla Mcrobbie (The Great Escape Festival)
Lama-sea Dear (Live event producer/A&R)
Neal Thompson (FOCUS Wales)
Nicholas Douglas (NOTION Magazine/Studio NOTION)
Snorri Ástráðsson (All Things Live Denmark)
While global stars are selling out fast, the rest of the live industry is under pressure. Soaring costs, slower ticket sales, and crowded calendars are squeezing small-to-mid-level events, with festivals folding and buyer behavior shifting. Is this a passing phase or the new normal? This panel brings together agents and promoters to unpack what’s working, what’s not, and how we protect the future of live music beyond the headliners.
Moderator
Gordon Masson (IQ Magazine)
Panelists
César Andión (Live Nation Spain/The Spanish Wave)
Lucia Wade (ITB)
Sara Kordek (Good Taste Productions)
Tor Breon (WME)
As global tensions escalate, the music world is feeling the heat. Recent flashpoints, like a Glastonbury set sparking police investigations and visa bans, or politically charged performances being pulled from broadcast, show just how blurred the lines have become between protest and career risk. This panel brings together professionals from Ukraine, South Korea, Serbia, Iceland, and Palestine to ask: Can music afford to stay neutral? As the fear of cancellation collides with the need for action, we’ll explore whether activism is still a choice—or simply part of the job.
Moderator
Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdóttir (Bifröst University)
Panelists
Alona Dmukhovska (Music Export Ukraine)
bashar murad (Artist)
Cecilia Soojeong Yi (DMZ PEACE TRAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL/ALPS inc.)
The Airwaves Conference welcomes everyone from musicians to music executives, and everything in-between.
Booking Agents, Composers, Culture Funds, DSPs, Export Bureaus, Festival Programmers, Funding Bodies, Media, Music Managers, Music Publishers, Music Supervisors, Musicians, Public Relations companies, Radio stations and programmers, Record Labels, Tour Promoters + more.
ATC Live, ATC Management, AWAL, BBC6 Music News, Big Dipper Management, By:Larm Festival, Brooklyn Vegan, Coda Agency, Disney/Freeform, Domino Music Publishing, Eurosonic Nooderslag, Flow Festival, KEXP, Keychange/PRS, Kobalt Music, Les Inrockuptibles, MIT, Netflix, NME, Paradigm Agency, Pitch and Smith, Reeperbahn Festival, Roskilde Festival, Sony Music, Spotify, Stereogum, The Current, The Line of Best Fit, The Orchard, United Talent Agency, Universal Music, William Morris Endeavour + more.