The contemporary music festival Dark Music Days took place in Reykjavik from January 29 to February 1. Established in 1980 by the Icelandic Composers Society, it is one of the country's most established festivals.

The festival was primarily held at Harpa Concert Hall, with additional events at Hallgrímskirkja and the Reykjavík City Library. Approximately 200 music professionals participated in this year's festival, which featured a program of works by 60 composers – 80 works in total, of which 40 were premieres.

Highlights included a concert by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir James MacMillan, which featured the world premieres of new works by Bára Gísladóttir and María Huld Markan. Other key performances included Huldur Chamber Choir’s opening concert, the German brass quartet APPARAT premiering a work by Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir and the premiere of Veronique Vaka’s accordion concerto, performed by Caput Ensemble and accordionist Jónas Ásgeir Ásgeirsson. Additionally, Cantoque Ensemble honored composer Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir with a portrait concert at Hallgrímskirkja.

Beyond the concert halls, the festival’s programming extended to sound walks, installations, sound baths and video games.

„Darkness is a precious thing“ 

In collaboration with Iceland Music and Business Iceland, Dark Music Days commissioned a short film featuring vignettes of several of this year’s artists. Directed by Anni Ólafsdóttir and produced by Lokaútgáfan, the film explores the artists' inspirations and the festival's relationship with the Icelandic winter. It provides a unique insight into the current state of contemporary music in Iceland, featuring visual artists, composers, video game programmers, and more.

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Preparations for Dark Music Days 2027 have already begun. An Open Call for proposals and ideas for the next festival will be announced shortly.

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