Reykjavík Grapevine - 19.06.2015, Blaðsíða 48

A festival on Drangey?
I started a festival ten years ago in
the East of Iceland called Bræðslan,
which has been fairly successful. So I
wanted to do something new this year.
I actually live here in North Iceland,
in Skagafjörður, so that’s the reason
for the location. So yeah, really some
friends of mine and I decided to give it
a try and see how it goes.
Woah! You live all the way up
there? What is Drangey like?
Yeah, I live in this area right by the
coast. Drangey is actually an offshore
island that nobody lives on. The festi-
val will be held in June when we have
24 hours of sunlight so the scenery will
be great: It’s a beautiful location with
beautiful scenery and we just wanted to
add to it with beautiful music.
Beautiful scenery and beautiful
music —Emilíana was a great pick
then.
[Laughs] We go way back. We’ve known
each other for a long time and she was
with me when we started the festival in
the east ten years ago so I thought she’d
be the best pick to start something new.
And of course she’s a wonderful singer-
songwriter so I think her music will be
wonderful in this atmosphere, in these
surroundings.
Another friend of mine called Jónas
Sig is playing as well. He has a great
band with him. They have brass and
greats beats. Then there are some local
artists too to go with them. It will be
good fun.
What can visitors do between
sets?
There’s a great campsite right by the
stage so we want people to come join us
for the whole day and night. Hopefully
we will light a bonfire by the shore at
midnight and have a good party.
So what are these rumours I’ve
heard of hot springs?
Well, Drangey is fairly well known in
the Icelandic Sagas because the Sagas
say that one of the best-known out-
laws in Icelandic history, a man called
Grettir, actually lived on this island. He
lived here, swam all the way to shore,
and relaxed in hot pools right down by
the ocean. Some decades ago this pool
was renovated, so now there are natural
hot water pools that you can enjoy as
well. So yeah, after the concert, before
the concert, or even during the concert
[laughs] you can go swim.
The concert is held in collabora-
tion with something called Lum-
mudagar right? What is that?
It’s a fairly small community festival
here—very easy-going, not complex,
yeah? Lummudagar is mainly just peo-
ple enjoying themselves, having a bar-
becue in the streets, seeing each other.
We just wanted to add to that experi-
ence to the festival, because Lummu-
dagar is a time when a lot of people that
have moved away come back. We just
wanted to add something new to their
Saturday night. Just make a good week-
end even better.
Drangey Music Festival will be
held on June 27 in Skagafjörður.
Tickets are 6,900 ISK and can be
purchased online.
June 27 Skagafjörður 6,900 ISK Drangey Music Festival
OUTSIDE
FESTIVAL
8
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 8 — 2015
A music festival on Drangey? In Skagafjörður? Yep, later this month, Drangey will host the
first ever Drangey Music Festival with top acts like Emilíana Torrini, Jónas Sigurðsson,
Magni, and Contalgen Funeral. We got in touch with festival organiser Áskell Heiðar Ás-
geirsson to learn more about it.
Photo Provided by Drangey Music Festival
Words Hannah Jane Cohen
Beautiful Scenery, Beautiful Music
The Drangey Music Festival is being held
for the first time in Skagafjörður