Winter and snow may be upon us, and then some, but one can still have a cozy time for all that. One way is to cuddle under a warm rug and raise the heat to a considerable degree or you might choose to attend some of the events happening this month. Among them is the excellent Reykjavik Folk Festival, starting tonight, March 7th and lasting until Saturday, March 9th.
This annual festival is now being held for the fourth time and features 12 modern folk artists, most of them locals, the cream of the crop. These artists are Árstíðir, Benni Hemm Hemm, Magnús og Jóhann, Ólöf Arnalds, Pétur Ben, Puzzle Muteson (UK), Elín Ey, Snorri Helgason, Valgeir Guðjónsson, Ylja, Þjóðlagasveit Höfuðborgarsvæðisins and Þokkabót. The festival will be held at the super cozy Kex Hostel. A pass to all the concerts is around 8000 krónur and for a single evening it's 3000. The only one of these bands that really plays the more old-time traditional folk is Þjóðlagasveit höfuðborgarsvæðisins, though I sadly found no video by them. If your looking for more such music in general, I'd also suggest the annual Folk Music Festival at Siglufjörður in North Iceland, which will be held on July third until July 7th.
Below are songs by the artists, to give you a little taste. For more on the festival and the schedule, check the festival's homepage.
Árstíðir
Benni Hemm Hemm
Magnús og Jóhann
Puzzle Muteson
Elín Ey
Ólöf Arnalds
Pétur Ben
Snorri Helgason
Valgeir Guðjónsson
Ylja
A writer for this site, integral in its shaping, as well as an avid traveler and a Reykjavik local, I have a fair knowledge of the country and traveling. Good in languages, have a BA in English. Other interests: Music, films, coffee houses, swimming, politics, health and humanitarian issues, folklore, anthropology, arts, poetry, culture, nature, hiking, history etc. I would be happy to direct you to good tours and recommend cool stuff. The opinions that I express on my blog are solely my own.
