Pan-ArcticVision lures a big audience in Iqaluit

Published 8:30 am Tuesday, December 9, 2025 By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Northern News Services The 2025 Pan-ArcticVision music festival held its main performance on Nov. 29 at Iqaluit’s Cadet Hall, packing the room with an excited audience to hear nine acts from around the circumpolar world. A live broadcast on Uvagut TV in Inuktitut and English hosted by Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory guided the in-person and at-home audiences through a three-hour event. Three music prizes and the host of the next Pan-ArcticVision were chosen by online audience voting following the performances. Most Arctic Song went to Siberian Indigenous artist Saina, who comes from a region called the Sahka Republic. The song that gives the most feeling of community and togetherness went to Sami artist Linus Johnsen, from Northern Norway. Most revolutionary song went to a female heavy metal band from Iceland, called Geobrigoi. Next year, Pan-Arctic Vision will go to the Faroe Islands, a Danish territory between Iceland and Norway. The vote for the next host was a close race between the Faroe Islands and Iceland, with audience members narrowly choosing the former location. Inuit tradition was on full display during the event: a Quilliq lighting, a closing ceremony with qilaut drum playing by students and a final song by Nunavummiut throat-singing duo Iva & Angu, who won Most Arctic Song at last year’s Pan-Arctic Vision. Hosting the vote count was Pan-Arctic Vision founder Amund Sjolie Sveen from Norway. Sveen invoked the heated political climate of the Arctic in his hosting duties, calling for communities around the Arctic Circle to come together. Other artists performing at this year’s festival were Inuk rapper Shauna Seeteenak, from Nunavut; Sami electro-pop artist from Northern Sweden NTIV (Johanas Nutti Lampa); Inuit alternative folk duo Kimmernaq Kjeldsen and HH (Hans-Henrik) Suersaq Poulsen, from Greenland; alternative folk artist Dottir from Faroe Islands; Sami rapper from Northern Finland Yungmiqu (Mihkku Laiti); and Ahtna and Inupiaq folk artist Quinn Christopherson, from Alaska.