Icelandic band Sigur Rós have to be one of the most innovative and exciting bands around – their albums are breathtakingly beautiful sonic journeys that are both immersive and thrilling. They are set to return to Australia for a run of truly special, one-of-a-kind performances in May 2025 (promoted by Secret Sounds and Double J) when they will bring their distinctive and ethereal music to stages in collaboration with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra. Shows are also planned in Sydney.
This follows the release earlier this year of a new album ÁTTA, their first studio record in 10 years. Recorded across multiple continents – in the band’s Sundlaugin studio in Iceland, the legendary Abbey Road in the UK and a number of studios in the US. Multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson is back in the fold – having left the band in 2012 – to join frontman Jónsi and bassist Georg Holm.
ÁTTA leans heavily towards the orchestral, and touches on everything that has made Sigur Rós one of the most ambitious and acclaimed bands of recent times, with close to 10 million albums sold, whilst sign posting an exciting and expansive possibility for their future. ÁTTA prominently features the London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames, alongside brass performed by longtime Icelandic collaborators Brassgat í bala. It is mixed and co-produced by another frequent collaborator Paul Corley, alongside the band.
In a post-pandemic world torn apart by war, economic turmoil, culture wars, and brutally divisive discourse, ÁTTA feels like a balming and unifying bond. Hólm says:
It’s what the music asked for and spoke for itself.
This record sounds like a Sigur Rós album, but it’s more introverted than before. It’s very expansive with this sound of strings, but it looks within more than outside.
ÁTTA is out now and available to download and stream here and through the link below. Physical editions will be available this month.
Since their formation, the band has masterfully blended ambient electronics, orchestral and rock instruments, with the haunting falsetto of frontman Jónsi at the helm. The band first emerged from Iceland with their debut album, Von, in 1997, but it was their sophomore album, Ágætis byrjun, in 1999 that propelled them to international acclaim. The album won them the prestigious Shortlist Music Prize and was declared Iceland’s Best Album of the Century. Following this success, their third album, ( ), was celebrated for its innovative use of Jónsi’s made-up language, known as Hopelandic.
Their expansive catalogue features several chart-topping records, including their 2012 album Valtari which became their fifth consecutive number one in Iceland, topped the album chart in Ireland, and reached number seven in the US. Returning to the studio shortly after, Sigur Rós took their sound in a darker, more assertive direction with their seventh album, Kveikur (2013). The change was approved by fans worldwide, and it became a Top 20 hit across Europe, the US, the UK and in Australia. That same year, the band appeared on screen in Game Of Thrones and featured in an episode of The Simpsons, which featured original music by Sigur Rós, as well as their take on the show’s theme song.
The tour will see them take advantage of local orchestras to bring to life their significant body of work.
Live, they are phenomenal, so this will be a tour to savour.
Tickets:
Tickets on sale to the general public now.
SIGUR RÓS AUSTRALIAN ORCHESTRAL TOUR 2025
Sat 17 May – AEC Theatre, Adelaide
Mon 19 May – Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Tue 20 May – Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Fri 23 May – Sydney Opera House, Vivid Festival, Sydney*
Sat 24 May – Sydney Opera House, Vivid Festival, Sydney*
Sun 25 May – Sydney Opera House, Vivid Festival Sydney*
Tue 27 May – QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
*Not promoted by Secret Sounds & Double J
