Of Monsters and Men takes a 23-person crew on global tour

Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men travels with a team of up to 23 people on its international tours, sound engineer and production manager Jóhann Rúnar Þorgeirsson told Morgunblaðið.

The band, founded in 2010, won the Músíktilraunir music competition that year. It has released four albums and regularly tours internationally, playing venues and festivals with audiences ranging from 1,500 to 50,000. Ticket sales for a single tour can reach hundreds of millions of Icelandic krónur, Morgunblaðið reports.

Jóhann says the main challenge is keeping the production flexible. Equipment must work on stages of different sizes while fitting into a single truck, he said, adding that it should not overwhelm a small venue or seem too small at a large one.

The touring team includes a tour manager and other specialists. One is Finnur Ragnarsson, who mixes the band members’ in-ear monitors. Jóhann said Ragnarsson has toured with artists including Björk, Sigur Rós and Placebo, and is in high demand.

Concert bookers often purchase several shows as a package, Jóhann said. They may arrange venues and handle interviews and promotion in coordination with the band. The band is guaranteed a set amount because touring involves substantial costs, while additional payments can depend on ticket sales. Sold-out shows may move to larger venues.

Tour preparations often begin six to nine months before an album is released, and artists may spend 12 to 18 months promoting it on the road, Jóhann said. Of Monsters and Men began its latest tour in the UK in autumn 2025, playing sold-out shows for just over a week in venues with capacities of 500 to 1,000. The band used material created around those performances, including photographs and video, to promote the album internationally. Its five-week US leg and five-week European leg had been planned before the UK shows, but the tour’s overall scale developed as it progressed.