Iceland Airwaves has revealed over 40 new artists for their 2026 edition. This includes international highlights such as Heartworms, Sex Week, The Itch and Any Young Mechanic alongside some of Iceland’s most promising prospects—think Bjork co-signed underground club music from Danish-born, Iceland-based knackered and the captivating vocals from 2025 Iceland Airwaves PLUS Award winner RAKEL.

Representing the local community at Iceland Airwaves 2026 is Andervel, the music project of Mexico-born, Iceland-based artist José Luis Anderson. Drawing from a broad lineage of folk tradition, his carefully crafted lyrics spanning Spanish, Iceland and English have garnered recent praise from international press. Elsewhere, today’s announcement brings the larger than life sound of SCAM, the high intensity electro-pop project of Icelandic composers and music producers Herdís Stefánsdóttir and Salka Valsdóttir.

SCAM will also perform at a special Taste of Iceland x Iceland Airwaves showcase event in New York, USA in September, offering New Yorkers a pre-festival opportunity to experience some of Iceland’s brightest new music prospects. The Taste of Iceland showcase will take place at Pianos on the Lower East Side on Thursday October 1st, more details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Other special events, curated and presented by Iceland Airwaves and Iceland Music; to a series of very special events with Shygirl, The Streets and Daði Freyr & The Iceland Symphony Orchestra at the city’s waterfront opera hall, Harpa.

Revealed today, the first topics of discussion for 2026 will include the likes of “Anybody in There? Human Curation in the Age of the Algorithm”; a deep-dive into the revival of authentic discovery, niche communities and analog platforms in the face of an algorithm-divided industry; while “From Local to Global: Against The Odds”, will explore the secrets of how Iceland and smaller corners of the globe continue to produce some of the world’s most  creative talents despite the location, market size.

The festival has helped kick start the careers of many young artists, from Florence and the Machine, Young Fathers and James Blake Fat Dog, Magdalena Bay, Saya Gray, Mary In The Junkyard and many more. At it’s heart, Iceland Airwaves is a true showcase for homegrown Icelandic creativity, offering emerging local artists their first opportunity to perform in front of a global audience.

The festival is now promoted and produced by the concert company Sena Live, with support from Iceland’s national airline and founding sponsor, Icelandair, and in cooperation with the City of Reykjavík.

Iceland Airwaves 2026 Festival Lineup (New additions in bold)

Adult DVD (UK)
Amor Vincit Omnia (IS)
Andervel (IS)
Any Young Mechanic (AU)
Arima Ederra (US)
Arny Margret (IS)
Axel Flóvent (IS)
Bana Zahiti (XK) |
bed (JP)
Bjarni Daníel (IS)
BKPM (IS)
Bleech 9:3 (IE)
BLUAI (BE)
Brynja (IS)
Brynya Rán (IS)
David Bay (DE)
Dove Ellis (IE)
Einakróna (IS)
Emmsje Gauti (IS)
Esmeralda Road (UK)
Falinn Gjóður (IS)
Flesh Machine (IS)
Formal Sppeedwear (UK)
Gosi (IS)
Haukur Páll (IS)
Heartworms (UK)
HÉR (PL)
Inspector Spacetime (IS)
Jamie Duffy (IE)
Jamie Woon (UK)
JEFF3 (DK)
Joe & the Shitboys (FO)
Jónfrí (IS)
Júníus Meyvant (IS)
knackered (IS)
KOIKOI (RS)
Liim (US)
LiteFun (IS)
LÓN (IS)
Lucy Dreams (AT)
MAMMÚT (IS)
Mar Pujol (ES-CT)
Marsibil (IS)
Nori (UK)
Oyama (IS)
PISS (CA)
Pollyfromthedirt (UK)
punktò (LT)
RAKEL (IS)
Revenge of Calculon (UK)
Róshildur (IS)
RSP (FO)
Sævar Jóhannsson (IS)
SAKARIS (FO)
SCAM (IS)
Sex Week (US)
Skeler (AU)
Spouses (IS)
SYL (DK)
TÁR (IS)
The Gnomes (AU)
The Itch (UK)
Them Flying Monkeys (PT)
Tunghoyrt (FO)
Úlfur Úlfur (IS)
Valborg Ólafs (IS)
Vicky Sometani (UK)
virgin orchestra (IS)
Yaelokre (PH/IS)
YARD (IE)

Tickets and information on Iceland Airwaves 2026 and related events HERE