Jón Gnarr, former mayor of Reykjavík, and Yulia Vasileva, frontwoman of the noise-art collective MC MYASNOI, have confirmed their participation in the IA conference. They will take part in an event titled The Big Conversation, focused on the cultural benefits brought by destinations for those forced to flee their country and people due to war or other threats. The discussion will be moderated by designer, academic, and musician R. Michael Hendrix.

Many of Iceland's leading cultural institutions trace their roots back to refugees who came to this country in the 20th century. The Big Conversation shines a light on this remarkable history and discusses how the cultural community can contribute to continued support for refugees, and by extension, a more colorful cultural life in the country.

The conference, held by Iceland Airwaves, Iceland Music, Business Iceland, and Reykjavík Music City, has established itself as Iceland's most important music conference, with the organizing team placing emphasis on making the programme as diverse and forward-thinking as possible. The conference is therefore essential for both Icelandic and international music professionals, serving as an educational, policy-shaping, and entertainment event alike.

Tickets available here>>

More participants announced today

Alongside The Big Talk participants, 5 other industry professionals were added to the speaker roster in today's announcement. They are:

Emily Bick, editor of the renowned music magazine The Wire, will host a couch talk with Bedroom Community, held to mark the label's 20th anniversary.

Sophie Williams, journalist at Billboard UK, will moderate a panel discussion titled Showcase Festivals: Why Do We Do This to Ourselves.

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Katrine Friis Sønderby, international booker and head of music collaborations at Spot Festival, and Rodrigue Mercier, music curator for Mama Festival in Paris, join the group of bookers taking part in the panel Discovery at Heart: Festival Programming with Purpose.

Last but certainly not least, Sindri Ástmarsson, booker for the Iceland Airwaves festival, joins the panel From Local to Global: Against the Odds.

More events and participants are still to be announced, so we strongly encourage anyone interested to sign up for Iceland Music's mailing list to get further updates sent directly to your inbox.