Icestock
{{Short description|Outdoor music festival}}
{{about|the music festival in Antarctica|the sport|Ice stock sport}}
File:Women at 2013 Icestock.jpg
Icestock is an all-day, outdoor music festival held annually at McMurdo Station, Antarctica on or around New Year's Day. It was started in 1989 by three United States Antarctic Program employees who wanted to host a music festival in the style of Woodstock.{{Cite web|title=The Antarctic Sun: News about Antarctica - Icestock Rings in the New Year|url=https://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/4202/|access-date=2020-12-17|website=antarcticsun.usap.gov}} It is the southern-most music festival in the world.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-14|title=24 hours of sunlight — life and aerospace research in Antarctica|url=https://www.colorado.edu/aerospace/2020/01/14/24-hours-sunlight-life-and-aerospace-research-antarctica|access-date=2020-12-17|website=Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences|language=en}}
Overview
The organizers, performers, and attendees of Icestock are all personnel working at McMurdo or nearby Scott Base. Because of the restrictions of the station's working schedule, Icestock falls on the Saturday closest to New Year's Day. Ahead of the event, volunteers erect a temporary stage as well as shacks for serving food and beverages.{{Cite magazine|title=Antarctica Rocks Out on Ice|language=en-us|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2001/02/antarctica-rocks-out-on-ice/|access-date=2020-12-17|issn=1059-1028}}
Anyone who is interested may perform in Icestock. Around a dozen acts perform each year, and the performances last for several hours. People often attend in costume.{{Cite web|date=2014-09-09|title=8 Antarctic Traditions|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58810/8-antarctic-traditions|access-date=2020-12-17|website=www.mentalfloss.com|language=en}} The celebration culminates with a countdown to the new year. Because it occurs during the Antarctic summer, the entire festival, including the midnight countdown, takes place in sunlight.{{Cite web|title=Chasing Science in Antarctica {{!}} Ice Stories: Dispatches From Polar Scientists|url=http://index.html/|access-date=2020-12-17|language=en-US}}
Musical acts
There are both group and individual musical performances at Icestock. As there are no permanent residents of Antarctica, musical groups typically form in the weeks preceding the festival. All personnel at the station are employed in other capacities, so music rehearsal takes place outside of the station's 60-hour work week. McMurdo has practice rooms and some instruments, but many musicians bring their own equipment to the station.{{Cite web|title=A New Master Plan for the McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica|url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/buildings/a-new-master-plan-for-the-mcmurdo-research-station-in-antarctica_o|access-date=2020-12-17|website=www.architectmagazine.com}}
Musicians perform both original music and covers from a wide variety of genres, including folk, rock, and dance music. Although there have been attempts to record Icestock performances, the music from Icestock is rarely performed or distributed beyond the festival.{{Cite web|title=IceStock2001|url=http://kuwona.users4.50megs.com/isindex.html|access-date=2020-12-20|website=kuwona.users4.50megs.com}}
Other activities
In addition to music, performances at Icestock have included comedy sketch routines, dramatic performances, and dance routines.{{Cite web|title=Ice Stock 2019: Special Project Other - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZjam_Ky4PU|access-date=2020-12-20|website=www.youtube.com}} Most years people dressed as Baby New Year will take the stage around midnight.
A chili cook-off also forms a central part of Icestock activities.
References
Category:Culture of Antarctica
Category:Music festivals in Antarctica
Category:1989 establishments in Antarctica
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