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Björk announces live shows in Iceland

By | Published on Monday 29 June 2020

Bjork

Björk has announced that she will be one of the first major artists to perform live since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. You know, like properly live, with an audience and everything. She will play three shows in Iceland this August, with over 100 musicians joining her.

This is all possible, of course, because Iceland’s government took the pandemic very seriously from the off and began putting plans in place to counteract it in February. As a result, the country had all but eliminated the disease by April, allowing the country’s lockdown to slowly be lifted.

The three shows will take place at Reykjavík’s Harpa Hall and will be livestreamed globally. Björk will perform with more than 100 musicians across the concerts, all of whom have previously performed on her albums. All accompaniment will be provided by those musicians alone, without any electronics or backing tracks.

The performances aim “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”, say Björk. “I recorded almost all of my albums with local musicians … together they are over 100 people”.

“I feel we are going through extraordinary times”, she goes on. “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 than profit, and look inside us and fine comb out all our hidden prejudices and privileges. Let’s all humbly learn together”.

Tickets for the shows will go on sale on 3 Jul and will raise money for the Icelandic Women’s Shelter. There will also be an option for those watching the livestreams to donate to the charity.



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