Iceland Airwaves 2017: Also In Akureyri

Next year for Airwaves, Icelanders and foreign guests alike will have two cities to choose from, albeit about a 5-hour drive apart.

RÚV reports that Akureyri, in north Iceland, will be playing a larger role in next year’s Iceland Airwaves music festival. The tentative plans are to assign two or three venues to the festival, with some 20 to 26 bands – foreign and Icelandic alike – taking to stages there.

Grímur Atlason, the main organiser of the festival, told reporters it had long been the plan to get more people into the countryside for Airwaves.

“And also to invite young people in the area and people who live in the countryside to Airwaves,” he added. “It is important that it isn’t just foreigners at Airwaves, and also that foreigners visit the main centre of North Iceland. That’s been the plan for a long time.”

While the line-up is still being clarified, things should be finalised in the new year. Tickets will begin to go on sale in February 2017.