Extreme Chill Festival was born in August 2009, when Pan Thorarensen and his father Óskar Thorarensen, members of the ambient trio Stereo Hypnosis, held a release concert in the village of Hellissandur on Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula. Inspired by the atmosphere and surroundings, the idea of establishing a festival at this unique location was conceived. One year later, the first edition of Extreme Chill Festival – Undir Jökli ("Under the Glacier") – took place from August 6–8, 2010.

Since its inception, Extreme Chill has expanded beyond Hellissandur, hosting the festival across Iceland in Vík, Reykjavík, and other locations as well as internationally in cities like Berlin and Prague. It has collaborated with numerous festivals both in Iceland and abroad.

At its core, Extreme Chill is dedicated to fostering connections between Icelandic and international artists, uniting diverse art forms from electronic music to visual arts. The festival has attracted considerable international attention and has established itself as an important part of Iceland’s music scene, distinguished by its focus on experimental, electronic, and ambient music.

Over the years, Extreme Chill and its associated events have given rise to countless releases, concerts, collaborations, and friendships. As Iceland’s longest-running festival focused on experimental music and sonic arts, Extreme Chill continues to thrive as an annual event. It is proud to be part of the newly formed Up Node Network, a Nordic platform for experimental music and sonic arts collaboration, as well as a member of NERDS – the North European Resonance and Dissonance Society, an open network connecting experimental music organizations across the Baltics and Northern Europe.