Brixton Academy was transformed into a gateway to a realm of sonic ritual and mythic storytelling as Heilung and Eivør graced the stage. This was not just a concert, but a rare, shared ceremony – an intimate, immersive, and unforgettable experience that those there were fortunate enough to witness.
The night opened with Eivør Pálsdóttir, whose voice alone could part sea and sky. Drawing from her Faroese roots, she delivered a stripped-back but emotionally charged set that blended ethereal electronics, folk minimalism, and haunting vocal layers. Opening with ‘Jarðartrá’ and moving through crowd favourites like ‘Í Tokuni’ and ‘Trøllabundin’ Eivør cast a quiet spell over the audience. Her voice rose and fell with elemental grace -sometimes fragile, sometimes fierce. She closed with ‘Upp Úr Øskuni,’ a fiery anthem of rebirth that perfectly bridged into the headlining ritual to come.
Then, like ancient spirits emerging from the mists of time, Heilung took the stage. From the solemnity of the Opening Ceremony to the fervour of the Closing Ceremony, the collective transformed the stage into hallowed ground. Their performance, including thunderous renditions of ‘In Maidjan’, ‘Norupo’, and ‘Seidh’, was a symphony of bone drums, throat singing, choral invocations, and warrior dances. Every moment felt like a sacred ritual, choreographed by ancestors.
‘Hamrer Hippyer’ brought the night to its ecstatic peak as the audience -once quiet in reverence -now roared in primal unity. Yet, even at its most intense, Heilung’s message was clear: this is healing through history, music as memory, performance as ritual.
Both artists brought vastly different but spiritually aligned experiences. Eivør’s introspective, soul-stirring set laid the emotional foundation, and Heilung expanded that space into full ceremonial grandeur. Together, they offered a concert and a journey, a liminal space where time collapsed and sound became sacred.
An otherworldly fusion of history, myth, and emotion – an evening that transcended the stage.
Review & Photos By Rebecca Bush
https://www.instagram.com/beckybphoto/
Eivør
Heilung
