Iceland Airwaves 2026 was programmed for Reykjavík from 4 to 8 November: 107 acts across seven downtown venues for the main festival on 5 to 7 November, from Fríkirkjan, the Free Church on the Tjörnin lake, to IÐNÓ, Kolaport, NASA, LEMMY, Rosenberg and City Hall. 48 of the acts were Icelandic, which is the reason to hear it here, in their own rooms.
The special events framed the week: Shygirl at City Hall on 4 November, Daði Freyr with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Eldborg, the main hall at Harpa, on 5 November, and The Streets in Eldborg on 8 November, each ticketed separately from the festival pass.
The organiser has already announced the next edition, 11 to 13 November 2027 in Reykjavík. Harpa opened on the old harbour in 2011 and is free to walk into, so go in daylight and look up at the glass; in November the days are short and clear nights bring the chance of aurora outside the city.
