Meet the new wave of Icelandic artists set to play at Airwaves 2026

Lead photo: Amor Vincit Omnia It's now just a few weeks until locals and visitors get a chance to unwind, disconnect and soak in the aural and visual sensory chamber that is Iceland Airwaves. With more than 100 artists spread over seven stages on the main programme, and numerous others across unofficial off-venues, there's plenty for the musically oriented to feast on at this year's festival, which runs from 4-8 November. Local acts and international ones vie for attention – and here's the full lineup and the clash-heavy schedule – but as always we’re way more interested in the homegrown newcomers and so we've put together a list of the most interesting Airwaves virgins. These are the rising Iceland-based artists who have never performed before at the festival (at least not under their current name) and are very worthy of your time as you jump between the basements and halls of 101's best venues fuelled by beer and a late night kebab from Mandi. "We were siblings in a previous life, but then we met again in college [and] the friendship grew from the music," Erla Hlín and Baldur Skúlason tell Best Fit about the beginnings of Amor Vincit Omnia ("Love Conquers All"). The pair began ma...