The big music news this week was the cancellation of the inaugural Night + Day festival, which was to be curated by The xx and held in the area around the Skógafoss waterfall on the South Coast. The festival raised eyebrows in the music community, having been announced with short notice, but “early bird” tickets reportedly sold out fast. The reason given for the cancellation is that Skógafoss has recently become classified as an area of natural beauty that’s under threat from increased tourism. There was loud disappointment online from ticket holders but, ironically, the same music-loving hipster types are often the first to share posts about threats to Icelandic nature. Concern for the preservation of nature doesn’t often trump tourism or industry—even the music industry—so perhaps it’s more a moment for sober acceptance.
In other festival news, the setup for Iceland Airwaves—which takes place November 1-5—will be changed substantially this year. A change has been made to the concert venues, which means that the number of tickets available will decrease from 9,000 to 7,500. So, should you wish to attend, you’d be well advised to book your ticket as soon as possible. There will also be 30% fewer off-venue events this year,, but the festival claims that they’ll aim for quality over quantity. As compensation, Airwaves will host concerts in Akureyri, the biggest town in the north.
Veteran Icelandic metal band Solstafir, which formed in 1995 and is still going strong, are embarking on an epic 28-date European tour this summer. They’ll start in London before travelling onwards to France, Germany, and a host of other countries. Solstafir’s sixth studio album ‘Berdreyminn’ was released in 2017 via the Season of Mist label. Support comes from Danish stars Myrkur; tickets go on sale 9am on June 30.
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