Reykjavík Folk Festival Starts Tonight!

The Reykjavík Folk Festival takes place March 5 – 7 at Kex Hostel at 20:00. The festival runs for three nights with four acts per night. The acts performing will be Teitur Magnússon, Ylja, Kólga, Funi, Moð, Lindy Vopnfjord (CA), Klassart, Lay Low, JP Hoe (CA), Björn Thoroddsen, Pétur Ben and Egill Ólafsson.

The festival has been running since 2010, originally by Ólafur Thordarson, who passed away in 2013. Since then, the festival has been kept going by Snorri Helgason and his father Helgi Pétursson.

“This is the third time I’m doing this,” said Snorri. “This festival started in Cafe Rosenberg, but it was a different kind of scene. I guess a bit older. When I took over, I wanted to mix the old stuff with what’s been happening in Iceland. It’s not purist folk.”

The festival has begun booking acts that are inspired by folk music, and considering the bands coming out of Iceland, there are a lot of great acts out there.

“On any night you have a complete mix of artists,” said Snorri. “You can go from traditional Icelandic Folk like Funi to more modern Pétur Ben. It’s a festival that lets the artists and the audience choose what folk means to them.”

All the shows take place in the inner room at Kex Hostel and tickets for the weekend past cost 7,999 ISK or 3,000 ISK for a night.

For more information check out, www.folkfestival.is or their Facebook page.