Árstíðir are an Icelandic folk band formed in Reykjavík in 2008. Since beginning their international touring career in 2010, they have performed in more than 30 countries across three continents, building an international following with their distinctive combination of Icelandic folk tradition, vocal harmonies and contemporary songwriting.
The band came to international attention in 2013, when a spontaneous performance of the 800-year-old Icelandic hymn Heyr himna smiður at Wuppertal train station in Germany went viral around the world.
Just in time for Castlefest, Árstíðir will be releasing their tenth studio album Sólmyrkvi. The title means ‘solar eclipse’ in Icelandic and contains traditional folk songs and nursery rhymes that the members themselves grew up with but reimaged with Árstíðir’s unique sound and approach to arrangments. For the band Sólmyrkvi represents both a return to the source, and a way of giving something back to the musical inheritance that helped shape them. The result is their most intimate—and perhaps their heaviest—album to date.
The first glimpse of Sólmyrkvi comes with Krummavísur, one of Iceland's best-known traditional children's songs. Generations of Icelandic children have grown up singing the song, which tells the story of a raven struggling to find food through the harsh Icelandic winter.
Árstíðir and Castefest have a long and warm friendship, since the band performed there earlier in 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024. They are looking forward to seeing you again!
