Sigur Rós SCO Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh 31st August 2026 Review
Sigur Rós were at the Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh tonight, the first date of the final European section of their current world tour. This orchestral tour sees the Icelandic band perform with local orchestras and here in Edinburgh that was the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
For me, this was always going to be an interesting show to review as the music of Sigur Rós has intrigued me for decades now, and I review most of the SCO's performances in any season of their music. How the ethereal, often fragile nature of this music would sound live, on-stage and expanded with such a large string orchestra was a question that I wanted an answer to.
Sigur Rós are unique as a band, and with lead vocalist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, singing either in Icelandic, or as is often, a constructed language called Vonlenska (Hopelandic) only adds to the mystique of the band. This constructed language, which is based upon emotions rather than the usual semantics that you would use to tell a story, makes these songs not only universal, but individually unique as to how a listener will themselves interpret their meaning.
Musically, this tour focuses on their latest album ÁTTA (released June 2023) and works from their extensive back-catalogue, including the album TAKK, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Often, when you go to review a band, you get a mixture of the band’s fan base and the curious newcomers to a show, but tonight it was obvious from the moment that Sigur Rós stepped onto this stage (which is one of the largest theatre stages in the UK), opening this show with Bloðberg (from ATTA), that here were the devoted faithful to the band’s music. I use that phrase deliberately as music to follow, such as Ekki múkk, 8, and Von blended together into a soundscape where the individual songs seemed to become part of a larger, at times almost church like experience.
This was a little bit what I always imagined being in an early church, or even cathedral, would sound like, surrounded by these very spiritual sounds. The difference here of course was that this congregation knew every individual element of this music and greeted it at the end with applause.
Musically and with the on-stage arrangements, Sigur Rós achieved their goals here of blending classical and post-rock musical influences. Here the band and the SCO were one. Arranging all of this music for a string orchestra was a huge challenge for anyone, so special credit has to be given here to Kjartan Sveinsson and his wife Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir who has with the string quartet Amiina regularly supported the band over the years. Conducting this music was Robert Ames.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
For me, this was always going to be an interesting show to review as the music of Sigur Rós has intrigued me for decades now, and I review most of the SCO's performances in any season of their music. How the ethereal, often fragile nature of this music would sound live, on-stage and expanded with such a large string orchestra was a question that I wanted an answer to.
Sigur Rós are unique as a band, and with lead vocalist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, singing either in Icelandic, or as is often, a constructed language called Vonlenska (Hopelandic) only adds to the mystique of the band. This constructed language, which is based upon emotions rather than the usual semantics that you would use to tell a story, makes these songs not only universal, but individually unique as to how a listener will themselves interpret their meaning.
Musically, this tour focuses on their latest album ÁTTA (released June 2023) and works from their extensive back-catalogue, including the album TAKK, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Often, when you go to review a band, you get a mixture of the band’s fan base and the curious newcomers to a show, but tonight it was obvious from the moment that Sigur Rós stepped onto this stage (which is one of the largest theatre stages in the UK), opening this show with Bloðberg (from ATTA), that here were the devoted faithful to the band’s music. I use that phrase deliberately as music to follow, such as Ekki múkk, 8, and Von blended together into a soundscape where the individual songs seemed to become part of a larger, at times almost church like experience.
This was a little bit what I always imagined being in an early church, or even cathedral, would sound like, surrounded by these very spiritual sounds. The difference here of course was that this congregation knew every individual element of this music and greeted it at the end with applause.
Musically and with the on-stage arrangements, Sigur Rós achieved their goals here of blending classical and post-rock musical influences. Here the band and the SCO were one. Arranging all of this music for a string orchestra was a huge challenge for anyone, so special credit has to be given here to Kjartan Sveinsson and his wife Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir who has with the string quartet Amiina regularly supported the band over the years. Conducting this music was Robert Ames.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
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