RAKEL and Spacestation are heading to South by Southwest (SXSW), held March 12–18 in Austin, Texas.

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual event combining film, media, technology, and music festivals. Since its founding in 1987, it has grown in both scale and scope, and is now one of the world's largest industry festivals. In recent years, Iceland Music, Iceland Airwaves, and Business Iceland have been active participants in the festival.

Low-key experimental pop star RAKEL needs little introduction to Icelandic music fans. Releasing music since 2020, she has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including JóiPé, Ceasetone, Pálmi Ragnarsson, LÓN, Kaktus Einarsson, Dr. Gunni, Salóme Katrín, and Nanna. Last year, RAKEL released her debut solo album through OPIA Community, a label and arts collective owned by Ólafur Arnalds, garnering significant international attention. At the most recent Iceland Airwaves, RAKEL received the Airwaves Plus award, which includes performances at FOCUS Wales in Wrexham and New Colossus in New York. It is safe to assume 2026 will be a busy year for RAKEL.

Spacestation’s first release, Hvítt vín, earned a 2024 Icelandic Music Award nomination, with the band winning the award the following year for the song "Í Draumalandinu." Both tracks featured on their debut LP, Reykjavík Syndrome, released last year to unanimous critical acclaim. The noise rockers have toured Europe extensively ever since and are now heading to the US for the first time.

Iceland Music will be on the ground in Austin, involved in various events aimed at creating further opportunities for Icelandic musicians in the United States.

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