Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025
| Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participating broadcaster | Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) | |||
| Country |  Iceland | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Söngvakeppnin 2025 | |||
| Selection date(s) |
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| Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
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Iceland will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland. The Icelandic participating broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) will organise the national final Söngvakeppnin 2025 in order to select its entry for the contest.
Background
[edit]Prior to the 2025 contest, Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Iceland forty times since its first entry in 1986.[1] Its best placing in the contest to this point was second, which it achieved on two occasions: in 1999 with the song "All Out of Luck" performed by Selma and in 2009 with the song "Is It True?" performed by Yohanna. It also reached two more top-5 positions: in 1990 with the song "Eitt lag enn" performed by Stjórnin and in 2021 with the song "10 Years" performed by Daði og Gagnamagnið, ending fourth on both occasions. Since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, it had failed to qualify to the final nine times, including in 2024, when the song "Scared of Heights" performed by Hera Björk placed last in the first semi-final.[1]
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, RÚV organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. From 2006 to 2020 and again since 2022, it selected its entry through Söngvakeppnin, a televised national competition. Initially, RÚV was supposed to decide on its participation in the 2025 contest on 5 September 2024.[2] However, Rúnar Freyr Gíslason, Iceland's head of delegation, has announced that RÚV postponed their decision as to whether they would participate.[3] A week later, RÚV confirmed its intention to participate in the contest.[4][5] RÚV subsequently confirmed that its entry would again be selected through Söngvakeppnin.[6]
Before Eurovision
[edit]Söngvakeppnin 2025
[edit]Söngvakeppnin 2025 is the national final organised by RÚV in order to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. It will consist of two semi-finals on 8 and 15 February 2025 and a final on 22 February at RVK Studios located in northern Reykjavík. The shows will be presented by Benedikt Valsson, Fannar Sveinsson, and Guðrún Dís Emilsdóttir. The semi-final qualifiers are determined by televoting, while a combination of seven international juries and public votes will be used to determine the results of the final.[7] There will be no superfinal round in the final for the first time since 2013.[8][9]
Competing entries
[edit]On 20 September 2024, RÚV opened the period for interested songwriters to submit their entries, lasting until 13 October.[6] At the closing of the submission window, 110 entries had been received. The selected entries were taken into consideration by the contest's advisory selection committee, made up of representatives from the Icelandic Association of Composers and Lyricists, the Union of Icelandic Musicians, and RÚV.[8] The ten selected entries were revealed on 17 January 2025 in the programme Lögin í Söngvakeppninni.[10][11]
| Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icelandic title | English title | ||
| Ágúst | "Eins og þú" | "Like You" |
|
| Bára Katrín | "Rísum upp" | "Rise Above" |
|
| Bia | "Norðurljós" | "Northern Lights" |
|
| Birgo | "Ég flýg í storminn" | "Stormchaser" |
|
| Bjarni Arason | "Aðeins lengur" | — |
|
| Dagur Sig | "Flugdrekar" | "Carousel" | |
| Júlí and Dísa | "Eldur" | "Fire" |
|
| Stebbi Jak | "Frelsið mitt" | "Set Me Free" |
|
| Tinna | "Þrá" | "Words" |
|
| Væb | "Róa" | — |
|
Semi-finals
[edit]Two semi-finals will take place on 8 and 15 February 2025. Five entries will perform in each semi-final, with three songs from each semi-final qualifying for the final.[12]
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Final
[edit]The final will take place on 22 February 2025 and will feature the six qualifiers from the semi-finals. While in the semi-finals all competing entries are required to be performed in Icelandic, in the final they have to be presented in the language they would be performed in at the Eurovision Song Contest.
For the first time since 2012, there will be no superfinal round in the final. A 50/50 combination of seven international juries and public votes will be used to determine the results of the final.[12]
Official album
[edit]
Söngvakeppnin 2025 is the official compilation album of the contest. It was compiled by RÚV and was digitally released by Alda Music under the former's exclusive license on 17 January 2025.[14][11] The album features both the Icelandic and English versions of the entries.
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn)[15] | 9 |
Controversies
[edit]Plagiarism allegations
[edit]On 21 January 2025, it was reported by the Icelandic online newspaper DV that the song "Róa" by Væb was accused of resembling the Israeli song "Hatunat Hashana" by Itay Levi and Eyal Golan.[16] A video was then posted on the online platform TikTok comparing the two songs.[17] The duo denied the allegations, stating that they never heard the song, also adding that they never listen to Israeli music and only listen to Icelandic rap and pop. The Söngvakeppninn board of directors has since sought advice from the Composers Rights Society of Iceland (STEF) to determine the similarity of the two songs.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Iceland". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Farren, Neil (4 September 2024). "🇮🇸 Iceland: Decision on Eurovision 2025 Participation to Be Announced on September 5". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Arnardóttir, Lovísa; Sigurðsson, Bjarki (6 September 2024). "Fresta ákvörðun um þátttöku í Eurovision" [Postpone the decision on participation in Eurovision]. Vísir.is. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (13 September 2024). "🇮🇸 Iceland: RÚV Confirms Eurovision 2025 Participation". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Gunnarsson, Oddur Ævar (13 September 2024). "Ísland mun taka þátt í Eurovision" [Iceland will participate in Eurovision]. Vísir.is. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Opnað hefur verið fyrir innsendingar laga í Söngvakeppnina 2025" [Song submissions for Söngvakeppnin 2025 have opened]. RÚV. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Farren, Neil (13 January 2025). "🇮🇸 Iceland: Söngvakeppnin 2025 Dates & Format Changes Announced". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ a b Aradóttir, Júlía (3 January 2025). "Einvígið fellt út í Söngvakeppninni 2025" [The duel was canceled in Söngvakeppninn 2025]. RÚV. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Gunnarsson, Oddur Ævar (3 January 2025). "Ekkert einvígi í Söngvakeppninni 2025" [No duel in Söngvakeppninn 2025]. Vísir.is. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ "🇮🇸 Söngvakeppnin 2025 entries to be announced on the 17th of January". That Eurovision Site. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d Björnsdóttir, Anna María (17 January 2025). "Þessi tíu lög verða í Söngvakeppninni 2025" [These ten songs will be in Söngvakeppninn 2025]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ a b Adam, Darren (3 January 2025). "Söngvakeppnin 2025 details unveiled". RÚV. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ a b Björnsdóttir, Anna María (22 January 2025). "Uppselt á úrslitakvöld Söngvakeppninnar" [Sold out on the final night of Söngvakeppninn]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ "Söngvakeppnin 2025 - Compilation by Various Artists". Spotify. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ "Tónlistinn - Plötur: Streymi, spilun og sala viku 4. Birt 25. janúar 2025 – Næst uppfært 1. febrúar 2025" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ Gudjónsdóttir, Gudrun Wish (21 January 2025). "Ísraelsmenn saka VÆB um að hafa stolið þekktu lagi" [The Israelites accuse VÆB of having stolen a known song]. DV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Gunnarsson, Oddur Ævar (3 January 2025). "Meintur stuldur á borð RÚV" [Allegedly stolen on board RÚV]. Vísir.is. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Gunnarsdóttir, Þorgerður Anna (21 January 2025). "RÓA sakað um að líkjast ísraelsku popplagi" [RÓA accused of sounding like an Israeli pop song]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2025.