Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...
What a year it's been!
As we wrap up the final year of the decade and blaze ahead into the roaring '20s, we celebrate all the friends we've made and the work that wouldn't have been possible without you.
Icelandic music reached more than 40 countries this year, with musicians playing over 1100 gigs in total. We had lots of firsts this year, from our first music accelerator to our first year as a carbon-negative company. And you were a part of it all 🥳
Thank you for sticking with us and we can't wait to see you in 2020! From our hearts to yours, have a wonderful and very joyous holiday season. 🎄 Gleðileg jól og farsælt komandi ár!
From your friends at,
Iceland Music
AIrwaves networking
We partnered with Airwaves Pro to organise over 500 meetings between Icelandic musicians and industry professionals. We also collaborated with STEF to organise listening sessions with music supervisors from abroad.
Reykjavik Calling
The Reykjavik Calling concert series visited Minneapolis for the first time this year, alongside Chicago, NYC, Seattle and Toronto. The free concert series showcases Icelandic bands in North America and is a part of the cultural festival Taste of Iceland.
Record in iceland
The marketing initiative Record in Iceland was launched in 2019, shining a light on reimbursements of 25% available on recording costs for music incurred in Iceland.
Firestarter
Iceland's first music accelerator, the four-week Firestarter programme ran this autumn. Six participating companies received feedback and mentorship from Iceland’s leading experts on innovation, entrepreneurship and the creative industries.
Jajaja 10’s birthday
The Nordic club night Ja Ja Ja turned 10 years old in London and 5 in Berlin this year, celebrating the very best music from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Carbon negative
80 volunteers travelled to the Hekla Forest over two days to plant a total of 18,600 native birch trees. These trees will offset carbon emissions generated both from company travel and the Icelandic music industry at large, making Iceland Music carbon-negative for 2018.