Björk to play three special Iceland shows

With Iceland now reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic, Björk has announced that she’ll be playing three special shows in August in association with Iceland Airwaves.

Taking place with a live audience at Reykjavík’s Harpa Hall on the 9th, 15th and 23rd August, the performances will be a celebration of the Icelandic musicians that Björk has worked with over the years, with each concert finding the artist collaborate with over 100 Icelandic musicians, across three groups that have played a part within the creation of her discography.

Each concert will also showcase new instrumental arrangements of scores from Björk’s back catalogue, raising money and awareness for Kvennaathvarfid - a charity that supports women and immigrants of different origin within Iceland.

Björk explains more in an accompanying letter that reads:

“dear friends

i would like to invite you to some concerts

to honour folks who got hit hardest in the coronavirus and the black lives matter movement

and to honour how many icelandic musicians i have worked with through the years

i recorded almost all of my albums with local musicians :

homogenic with an icelandic string octet

medulla with schola cantorum ( an icelandic mixed choir )

volta with 10 brass girls i found all over the island and then later they formed wonderbrass

biophilia with langholt´s church girl choir graduale nobili

vulnicura with a 15 piece string ensemble

utopia with 12 female fluteplayers who later formed the flute septet viibra

cornucopia with hamrahlíð´s choir conducted by þorgerður ingólfsdóttir

all these albums where then performed all around the planet with these musicians

together they are over hundred people !!

and we are going to celebrate that we are all healthily exiting quarantine together by playing concerts in harpa music hall for 3 weekends of august

my input into the feminist fight is to brag about that almost all of those arrangements are by me

unfortunately this is something that is almost always ignored when women are arrangers

the concerts will be in the afternoons and will also be streamed live online, where there will be an option to donate to the icelandic women’s shelter - which supports women of all origin in iceland

for those attending in person, after the concert we will be offering food to raise money in support of this charity

the concerts will be “unplugged” or acoustic and performed without beats and electronics

the concerts will be performed with the icelandic symphony orchestra and guests

i feel we are going through extraordinary times

horrifying but also an opportunity to truly change

it is demanded of us that we finally confront all racism

that we learn that lives are more important that profit

and look inside us and finecomb out all our hidden prejudices and privileges

let´s all humbly learn together

transform

humongous love

björk”