Music
For a small country, Iceland makes a lot of noise. Our love for music ranges from elegant church choirs to rowdy hip-hop and everything in between. Icelandic musical traditions trace back to the chanted rímur of the Vikings and fast-forward to the experimental electronica of today. No matter your taste—be it jazz, opera, punk, pop, rap, hard rock, or big band—someone in Iceland is doing it. Musicians like Björk and Sigur Rós have helped put Iceland on the map, but honestly, it's hard to meet an Icelander who doesn't play or sing. Music is in our blood.
For that reason, Reykjavík's independent music scene is legendary—recognized worldwide for its originality and breadth of sound. On any given night, you can experience live music for every taste among the dozens of clubs downtown. Even better, every October, the world's most promising musical acts travel north to get noticed at Iceland Airwaves, an international pop music festival like no other. So, whether you want to tap into the magic Icelandic muse or discover the planet's next big act, it's happening right now in Iceland.