Icelandic Tourist Board 

A music festival at the edge of the world, and you’re invited!
Aldrei fór ég suður // I Never Went South Music Festival
Streamed live on www.inspiredbyiceland.com  April 22-23, 2011

The celebrated Icelandic music festival Aldrei fór ég suður will take place on 22-23 April 2011 in Ísafjörður, on Iceland’s Westfjords, and YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND via a live stream! Aldrei fór ég suður is a music festival unlike any other: located practically at the end of the world, in a town nestled among precipitous mountain slopes, the festival brings together local bands with the biggest names on the Icelandic music scene. Since its inception in 2004 the event has been run on a volunteer basis by Ísafjörður residents. Entrance to all events is free, and this year we are adding a LIVE ONLINE STREAM on www.inspiredbyiceland.com to give music fans the world over a chance to take part. Lonely Planet named Aldrei fór ég suður as one of the three most interesting happenings around the world in April in its Best of Travel 2011 round up.

Aldrei fór ég suður // I never went south began as an idea over a pint of beer between Icelandic musician Mugison and his father, both of them Ísafjörður natives. They were keen to showcase Ísafjörður’s vibrant music scene, and wanted to have as much fun as possible while doing it. The festival has gone from strength to strength since its inception, with festivalgoers citing the offbeat location and the convivial and relaxed atmosphere, in addition to the music itself, as its major attractions. The title of the festival is a wry reference to those musicians who never went “south” to Reykjavík to seek fame and fortune, but stayed at home and continued to make music there – with amazing results.

One of the things that makes Aldrei fór ég suður so special, and is no doubt a major contributor to its happy atmosphere, is the fact that the entire town gets involved. The festival is a true-blue labour of love, for all of Ísafjörður’s residents donate their work and admission to all festival events is free. The entire town vibrates with energy during the festival, and the enthusiasm and goodwill are truly infectious.
This year, Aldrei fór ég suður will be sent out via a live stream by Inspired by Iceland. Last year, Inspired by Iceland successfully streamed the concert Iceland Inspires, featuring Icelandic and international acts, live from Reykjavík to viewers around the world. That concert is still available online, on the www.inspiredbyiceland.com website. Aldrei fór ég suður will be sent out on www.inspiredbyiceland.com, on Friday April 22 at 8 pm and Saturday April 23 at 6 pm Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Those who want to invite their friends to watch the concert can send a free e-card with stunning photographs from Iceland, on http://www.inspiredbyiceland.com/stories/e-cards. A standard text is made available by default, but senders can also change the text at will.

About Ísafjörður
Ísafjörður (pop. 4,000) – literally “Fjord of Ice” – is the largest town on Iceland’s Westfjords, one of the country’s most stunningly beautiful locations. Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011 put the Westfjords at number 5 on their Top 10 list of the must-see places this year, and named the Aldrei fór ég suður festival as one of the three most interesting events happenings around the world in April: “Ísafjörður, the main town, hosts Iceland’s best music festival as well as being home to a great local cafe and dining scene.... Anyone lucky enough to visit Iceland comes back goggle-eyed and open-jawed with tales of an untamed island.”

More praise for Aldrei fór ég suður:
Wyndham Wallace // The Quietus
“Ísafjörður, the journalists from Cologne and Hamburg agree, may be quiet but it is, without any doubt, one of the most spectacular places our so-called ‘work’ has ever taken us.... Everyone’s here for the right reason: to play and share music with the minimum of fuss.”
http://thequietus.com/articles/04355-mugison-s-aldrei-f-r-g-su-ur-festival-iceland  

Joseph Edwards Keyes // eMusic
“The town of Ísafjörður is a visual miracle. Surrounded on all sides by massive, awe-inspiring cliffs, the village feels like an art project: a brightly-colored, economically-designed township nestled dead in the center of gargantuan natural marvels. It’s as if someone had dropped it in using a crane.”
http://www.grapevine.is/Travel/ReadArticle/cheerful-drunken-people  

Matthew Bennett // CLASH – www.clashmusic.com
“For anyone bored [with] the O2 Wireless styled events where rosters are shared and everything is franchised ‘I Never Went South’ is a direct antithesis and complete remedy ….
Virgins to this Volcanic isle are recommended to get there as soon as possible and enjoy their distinctive blend of hedonism and musical nuance. There are few places on earth like Iceland’s Northern(Western) Fjords...” http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/i-never-went-south-festival-saturday

For more information please contact Jón Þór Þorleifsson, +354 896 1988, [email protected] , or Hera Brá Gunnarsdóttir, +354 866 3039, [email protected]