Arca, Sideproject and Ronja Jóhannsdóttir will also perform at the event.
Björk is hosting a solar eclipse rave in Iceland this summer.
Dubbed Echolalia, the one-day festival will be held in Víðistaðatún, Hafnarfjörður, on Wednesday 12th August. In addition to a DJ set from Björk herself, fans can expect a performance from fellow electronic luminary Arca, alongside local acts Sideproject and Ronja Jóhannsdóttir. The event will also include celebrations to mark the 40th birthday of Smekkleysa, a hugely influential Icelandic record label and shop.
However, the most defining feature of the day will be one minute and four seconds of “totality”, when the moon completely obscures the sun, plunging the land into darkness. The eclipse will last around two hours overall, during which time the site will be bathed in an otherworldly half-light.
According to a press release: “For years we’ve been having Mánakvöld — dance evenings under a full moon where Björk invites friends to DJ with her. This time we gather under the total solar eclipse and dance.”
Tickets for the gathering are already on sale, with options to add on an extensive package of collector’s item merchandise. Pieces include a t-shirt and tote, a compilation of new Icelandic music curated by Björk, a signed LP copy of her orchestral performance with the Hamrahlíð Choir, and a number of other autographed records by associated artists. A limited edition Smekkleysa book, ‘World Domination or Death’, also features.
Alongside entry to the music event, passes also get fans into Björk’s Echolalia exhibition at the nearby National Gallery of Iceland in Reykjavík. This comprises three new songs presented “on a theatrical scale” for the first time.
Two of these — ‘Ancestress’ and ‘Sorrowful Soil’ — were composed by Björk in memory of her late mother. A third is taken from her as-yet untitled forthcoming album. A separate exhibition, Metamorphlings, is also running, showcasing work by long-time artistic collaborator James Merry. Passes for these shows can be bought separately to the festival, with the artwork on display from 30th May to 19th September.
