Reykjavík Grapevine - ágú. 2022, Blaðsíða 12

12The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
Hátíðni: A Space For Those
Without One
From a small gathering of friends to a music festival
Words: Asha Edmondson & Emma Ledbetter Photos: Joana Fontinha
Cowboy hats, fisherman’s sweat-
ers, retro sneakers, and denim—
so much denim—mark Hátíðni as
a music festival that’s alive with
mismatched cohesion. It’s a wear-
what-you-want and do-what-you-
want sort of event. Organisers,
musicians, and guests are one and
the same, sharing responsibilities
like preparing meals and picking
up trash.
Those who come to Hátíðni—
whether it’s their first time or
fourth—are here to be part of the
Post-dreifing family, bound by the
underground arts collective’s love
of art and community. Ranging
from the more traditional singer-
songwriter style to heavier scream-
ing and a lot of experimental pieces,
this festival features just about
every genre imaginable.
Friends through music
Snæbjörn Helgi Arnarsson Jack—
Snæi Jack to his friends—planned
the first Hátíðni as a party. Little
did Snæi know, this small party
would turn into an annual festival
bringing together all of his friends,
new and old.
“In 2017 I had just moved into
this awful basement that had only
one window. It was super hot and
there were flies everywhere—it was
just the worst place ever! But I really
wanted to have a party, so I decided
to rent a community centre in the
west of Iceland and invite every-
one,” Snæi says.
Unfortunately, many of Snæi’s
friends didn’t show up. But this
turned out to be a blessing in
disguise and paved the way for what
we now know as Hátíðni.
“I was working at Stofan Café at
the time…most of the other people
working there were artists and they
wanted to come and play,” Snæi
explains. “All the bands showed up,
but very few of my friends came.
And so now, my friends are the
people from those bands.”
Snæi and his new friends keep
coming back to the festival year
after year, gradually expanding
the group to welcome more like-
minded people.
Though Snæi has an undeniable
role in starting the festival, every-
one shares responsibility for organ-
ising it. The ‘do it together’ mindset
is evident—you don’t have to look
far for help and even first timers
are willing to lend a hand.
A subculture
Walking into Hátíðni is overwhelm-
ing. You quickly realise that it isn’t
your average festival. Instead, it is
more like a homecoming for a large
group of friends.
In addition to the music, work-
shops are offered during the day
allowing people to tap into a differ-
ent side of their creativity. Whether
in feminist self defense or creative
writing, participants are encour-
aged to express themselves in what-
ever language or manner they feel
comfortable.
This dynamic is a stark contrast
to what many may expect when they
hear the word “festival.” Despite
the warm welcome from those
involved, the close community
environment can at times appear
exclusive. Unless you are familiar
with Post-dreifing or their organ-
isational style, it’s easy to feel like
an outsider at Hátíðni. And yet, this
feeling is set against a backdrop of
unwavering acceptance, encour-
agement, and support. You might
feel like you don’t belong, but at the
same time you know you absolutely
will not be judged.
Bonded together
Ironically, though, the strong sense
of fellowship that can leave outsid-
ers feeling distant, is the same
thing that strengthens the internal
community’s bond, enabling each
person to fully embrace themselves
and their art.
The opening act, performed
by “one-gig-wonder” band SOFT-
FISKUR, provided the perfect
summary of what to expect from
the weekend. Truly an experimen-
talist’s fantasy, their set included
techno beats, artistic autotune, and
poetic screaming. But even if that
sounds enticing, you’re already too
late—this is the band’s first, and
likely only, performance.
“Maybe it’s because we are
so involved in the scene and the
festival itself,” says band member
Simón. “But it’s the perfect festi-
val to try something new. We also
encourage new bands to play for
the first time, so it felt perfect. It’s
not intimidating,
we know that we
can have fun, and
people appreciate
pretty much every-
thing.”
A n o t h e r
performer, Áslaug
Dungal, used the
festival to perform
songs from her new
album. Even though Áslaug is new
to the Hátíðni and Post-dreifing
scene, she really values the experi-
ence.
“I think it’s awesome. I really like
the town and the venue,” beamed
Áslaug. “I like the idea of camping
and having a festival. Also, every-
body is just helping everybody.”
Community Abroad
A number of foreign performers
joined the festival this year, bring-
ing their unique sounds with them.
Artists came from across the world,
from Finland to Argentina.
For some, performing at a festi-
val abroad was nerve-wracking, but
they recognized that Hátíðni is the
ideal judgement-free place to try it
out.
“Even with this festival, I’ve only
performed maybe four times,” says
Lilly Montague, known by their
stage name Monty, who is visit-
ing Iceland from the UK. “Apply-
ing to play at a festival abroad is
something you’re like, ‘I’ll do that
when I’m a bigger musician.’ But I
thought I may as well try.”
Lilly said they felt comfortable
performing at the festival because
their friends always talked about
how welcoming and encouraging
everyone is at Post-dreifing.
Safe spaces
Hátíðni takes pride in ensuring its
community members feel secure
and have the spaces they need.
Hátíðni provides a room called
“Safer Space,” where people can
go for any reason if they need to
escape the festivities.
Beyond tangible safety and
inclusivity measures like the Safer
Space, Hátíðni has spent time and
energy ensuring the atmosphere
is safe as well. Volunteers wear-
ing neon vests were available at
all times to help anyone needing
support.
O r g a n i s e r B j a r n i D a n í e l
mentions that when it comes to
managing safety and wellbeing,
the festival owes a lot to grassroots
political organisation, Andrými.
“[Andrými has] many differ-
ent techniques to make sure that
people feel safe, especially because
they’re working with a lot of minor-
ities,” says Bjarni.
“They have this
safer space policy
and communica-
tion rooms, so
these are things
we took influence
from when we were
starting.”
Overall, Hátíðni
is a festival that
really cares about its community
and ensuring the inclusion of
people who may not otherwise have
a dedicated space to socialise, make
music, and be themselves. While it
may be difficult to find your place
at first, it’s impossible to deny the
value of the community, and what
they can achieve together. Almost
everyone interviewed wanted to
encourage readers to “come to
Hátíðni next year!”—if you’re look-
ing for a new creative clan, then you
definitely should.
“Everybody is
just helping
everybody.”
Culture
Feeling the musical energy in Borðeyri
Björt Sigfinnsdóttir, LungA director (Photo: Juliette Rowland)
The most special co ee
from specialists
in speciality co ee.
Co ee & Sandwiches Hafnarstræti 11 ka_o_le