Grants have been awarded from Hátíðapotturinn, a recently establiished festival fund run jointly by Iceland Music and Business Iceland, with the festivals State of the Art and Sátan receiving support. We warmly congratulate these ambitious and impressive festivals.

The aim of Hátíðapotturinn is to assist Icelandic music festivals in inviting international media, artistic directors, and other key players to Iceland in order to promote Icelandic music, culture, and of course the festivals themselves. The fund was announced at the end of February and closed for applications on 25 March. In total, sixteen music festivals from across the country applied.

It was truly gratifying to see how diverse and vibrant the music festival scene is, and the interest in the initiative was overwhelming. There is therefore hope that the scope of the Festival Fund can grow in the coming years.

About the festivals

State of the Art

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State of the Art takes place in Reykjavík in the second week of October 2025. The festival challenges conventional concert formats, placing artists and audiences in unexpected situations while keeping a light touch in its serious grappling with the present moment.

Last year, the festival included events such as a piano concert by Bjarni Frímann in a car repair shop, baroque music at the nightclub Auto, and a composer carousel where six composers each wrote a piece for the next in the chain, continuing in turn until the circle was complete. This year’s edition continues to shake up musical expectations with a bold, playful, and at times delightfully bizarre programme.

The festival is led by Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, Bergur Þórisson, and Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson – all among Iceland’s leading musicians – along with Sverrir Páll Sverrisson, an experienced producer and project manager who has been involved in some of the country’s most original cultural happenings. Together, they create a platform where imagination and experimentation can run wild.

Sátan

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Sátan is a three-day heavy metal festival held in Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, taking place this year from 5–7 June. The festival focuses on showcasing a diverse range of the country’s leading metal bands, along with carefully selected international guests, aiming to highlight the breadth and quality of the Icelandic metal scene.

Alongside the concert programme, the festival also hosts an ambitious and hugely entertaining conference addressing various topics related to the scene.

Sátan is organised by a group of metal enthusiasts and musicians who have been active in the Icelandic scene for over three decades, with extensive experience in organising concerts, festivals, and performing themselves. Leading the festival is Gísli Sigmundsson, who began his career in 1990 with the legendary band Sororicide and has remained a key figure in the Icelandic metal scene ever since – both as a musician and an organiser, including as part of the team behind Eistnaflug.

Gísli’s daughter Lilja and Guðjón Óttarsson – Gísli’s former bandmate in Sororicide – are also part of the festival’s core team. Together, they run a festival built on deep experience and a genuine passion for the scene.

Everyone is welcome at Sátan – regardless of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, or sexual orientation – and the goal is simple: that everyone, whether staff, bands, or guests, leaves with a smile after a fantastic festival!

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