Iceland has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 37 times since its debut in 1986. It has missed only two contests since then, in 1998 and 2002, when prevented from competing due to finishing outside qualification places the preceding years, and will skip the 2026 contest due to the inclusion of Israel in the context of the Gaza war. The country's best result is second place, which it achieved with "All Out of Luck" by Selma in 1999 and "Is It True?" by Yohanna in 2009. The Icelandic participating broadcaster in the contest is Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), which select its entrant with the national competition Söngvakeppnin.
| Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest | |
|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest | |
| Participating broadcaster | Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) |
| Participation summary | |
| Appearances | 37 (28 finals) |
| First appearance | 1986 |
| Last appearance | 2025 |
| Highest placement | 2nd: 1999, 2009 |
| Related articles | |
| Söngvakeppnin | |
| External links | |
| RÚV page | |
| Iceland's page at Eurovision.tv | |
| For the most recent participation see Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | |
Iceland has achieved a total of seven top ten placements, with the others being "Eitt lag enn" by Stjórnin finishing fourth (1990), "Nei eða já" by Heart 2 Heart seventh (1992), "Open Your Heart" by Birgitta eighth (2003), "Hatrið mun sigra" by Hatari tenth (2019), and "10 Years" by Daði og Gagnamagnið fourth (2021). Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Iceland has failed to qualify for the final nine times, including four years consecutively (2015–18). To date, Iceland is the only Nordic country that has yet to win the contest.
History
Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) is a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), thus eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. It has participated in the contest representing Iceland since its 31st edition in 1986, 20 years after RÚV was founded.
Iceland's best result in the contest is second place, which it has achieved twice: in 1999 with the song "All Out of Luck" performed by Selma, beaten by Sweden's "Take Me to Your Heaven" by Charlotte Nilsson, and in 2009 with "Is It True?" performed by Yohanna, beaten by Norway's "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak.
However, Iceland's worst result in the contest is last place, which has been achieved four times to date: in 1989 when "Það sem enginn sér" by Daníel Ágúst received 0 points, in 2001 when "Angel" by Two Tricky received 3 points, in 2018 when "Our Choice" by Ari Ólafsson received 15 points in the first semi final, and in 2024 when "Scared of Heights" by Hera Björk received 3 points in the first semi final.
With the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, Iceland automatically qualified for the final that year due to Birgitta's eighth place the previous year. In 2008, Iceland reached the final for the first time since then, with "This Is My Life" by Euroband. Iceland qualified for the final in seven consecutive contests between 2008 and 2014 before failing to qualify for the final from 2015 to 2018. In 2019, Hatari brought the country back to the final for the first time since 2014, finishing tenth, which was followed by a fourth-place finish for Daði og Gagnamagnið in 2021, Iceland's joint-second best result to date, and a 23rd-place finish for Systur in 2022. Further non-qualifications came in 2023 and 2024. VÆB brought the country back to the final in 2025 breaking the countries two year non qualification streak. They finished 25th in the final, receiving zero points by the juries. RÚV withdrew from 2026 due to Israel's inclusion.
Despite these mixed fortunes, Iceland is the second most successful country never to have won the contest (behind only Malta).
Sigríður Beinteinsdóttir has participated five times (as a member of a group in 1990 and 1992, as a solo artist in 1994, and as a background vocalist in 1991 and 2006). Hera Björk has also participated five times (as a backing vocalist in 2008, 2009 and 2015, and as a solo artist in 2010 and 2024). Stefán Hilmarsson has participated twice (as a member of a group in 1988 and in a duo with Eyfi in 1991), as have Selma Björnsdóttir (1999 and 2005), Eiríkur Hauksson (as a member of a group in 1986 and as a solo artist in 2007; Eiríkur has additionally participated for Norway in 1991 as a member of Just 4 Fun). Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson entered as a solo artist in 2004 before participating in a duo with Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir in 2012; Greta Salóme later entered as a solo artist in 2016.
Participation overview
| 1 | First place |
| 2 | Second place |
| 3 | Third place |
| ◁ | Last place |
| X | Entry selected but did not compete |
| Year | Artist | Song | Language | Final | Points | Semi | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | ICY | "Gleðibankinn" | Icelandic | 16 | 19 | No semi-finals | |
| 1987 | Halla Margrét | "Hægt og hljótt" | Icelandic | 16 | 28 | ||
| 1988 | Beathoven | "Sókrates" | Icelandic | 16 | 20 | ||
| 1989 | Daníel | "Það sem enginn sér" | Icelandic | 22 ◁ | 0 | ||
| 1990 | Stjórnin | "Eitt lag enn" | Icelandic | 4 | 124 | ||
| 1991 | Stefán and Eyfi | "Nína" | Icelandic | 15 | 26 | ||
| 1992 | Heart 2 Heart | "Nei eða já" | Icelandic | 7 | 80 | ||
| 1993 | Inga | "Þá veistu svarið" | Icelandic | 13 | 42 | Kvalifikacija za Millstreet | |
| 1994 | Sigga | "Nætur" | Icelandic | 12 | 49 | No semi-finals | |
| 1995 | Bo Halldórsson | "Núna" | Icelandic | 15 | 31 | ||
| 1996 | Anna Mjöll | "Sjúbídú" | Icelandic | 13 | 51 | 10 | 59 |
| 1997 | Páll Óskar | "Minn hinsti dans" | Icelandic | 20 | 18 | No semi-finals | |
| 1999 | Selma | "All Out of Luck" | English | 2 | 146 | ||
| 2000 | August and Telma | "Tell Me!" | English | 12 | 45 | ||
| 2001 | Two Tricky | "Angel" | English | 22 ◁ | 3 | ||
| 2003 | Birgitta | "Open Your Heart" | English | 8 | 81 | ||
| 2004 | Jónsi | "Heaven" | English | 19 | 16 | Top 11 in 2003 contest | |
| 2005 | Selma | "If I Had Your Love" | English | Failed to qualify | 16 | 52 | |
| 2006 | Silvía Night | "Congratulations" | English | 13 | 62 | ||
| 2007 | Eiríkur Hauksson | "Valentine Lost" | English | 13 | 77 | ||
| 2008 | Euroband | "This Is My Life" | English | 14 | 64 | 8 | 68 |
| 2009 | Yohanna | "Is It True?" | English | 2 | 218 | 1 | 174 |
| 2010 | Hera Björk | "Je ne sais quoi" | English, French | 19 | 41 | 3 | 123 |
| 2011 | Sjonni's Friends | "Coming Home" | English | 20 | 61 | 4 | 100 |
| 2012 | Greta Salóme and Jónsi | "Never Forget" | English | 20 | 46 | 8 | 75 |
| 2013 | Eyþór Ingi | "Ég á líf" | Icelandic | 17 | 47 | 6 | 72 |
| 2014 | Pollapönk | "No Prejudice" | English | 15 | 58 | 8 | 61 |
| 2015 | María Ólafs | "Unbroken" | English | Failed to qualify | 15 | 14 | |
| 2016 | Greta Salóme | "Hear Them Calling" | English | 14 | 51 | ||
| 2017 | Svala | "Paper" | English | 15 | 60 | ||
| 2018 | Ari Ólafsson | "Our Choice" | English | 19 ◁ | 15 | ||
| 2019 | Hatari | "Hatrið mun sigra" | Icelandic | 10 | 232 | 3 | 221 |
| 2020 | Daði og Gagnamagnið | "Think About Things" | English | Contest cancelled X | |||
| 2021 | Daði og Gagnamagnið | "10 Years" | English | 4 | 378 | 2 | 288 |
| 2022 | Systur | "Með hækkandi sól" | Icelandic | 23 | 20 | 10 | 103 |
| 2023 | Diljá | "Power" | English | Failed to qualify | 11 | 44 | |
| 2024 | Hera Björk | "Scared of Heights" | English | 15 ◁ | 3 | ||
| 2025 | Væb | "Róa" | Icelandic | 25 | 33 | 6 | 97 |
Related involvement
Conductors
| Year | Conductor | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Gunnar Þórðarson | ||
| 1987 | Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson | ||
| 1988 | No conductor | ||
| 1989 | |||
| 1990 | Jon Kjell Seljeseth | ||
| 1991 | Jón Ólafsson | ||
| 1992 | Nigel Wright | ||
| 1993 | Jon Kjell Seljeseth | ||
| 1994 | Frank McNamara | ||
| 1995 | |||
| 1996 | Ólafur Gaukur | ||
| 1997 | Szymon Kuran |
Heads of delegation
| Year | Head of delegation | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2017–2023 | Felix Bergsson | |
| 2024 | Rúnar Freyr Gíslason | |
| 2025 | Felix Bergsson |
Commentators and spokespersons
Iceland has broadcast the show since 1970. The first to be broadcast live was the 1983 edition after the plan to broadcast the 1982 contest failed. Since 1986, RÚV has broadcast the contest on the radio using same commentator for TV and radio and the Internet broadcast since early 2000s.
| Year | Television channel | Radio station | Commentator(s) | Spokesperson | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Sjónvarpið | No radio broadcast | Unknown | Did not participate | ||
| 1971 | Björn Matthíasson | |||||
| 1972 | ||||||
| 1973 | Jón O. Edwald | |||||
| 1974 | Unknown | |||||
| 1975 | Dóra Hafsteinsdóttir | |||||
| 1976 | Jón Skaptason | |||||
| 1977 | Unknown | |||||
| 1978 | Ragna Ragnars | |||||
| 1979 | Björn Baldursson | |||||
| 1980 | ||||||
| 1981 | Dóra Hafsteinsdóttir | |||||
| 1982 | Pálmi Jóhannesson | |||||
| 1983 | Unknown | |||||
| 1984 | No commentator | |||||
| 1985 | Hinrik Bjarnason | |||||
| 1986 | Rás 1 | Þorgeir Ástvaldsson | Guðrún Skúladóttir | |||
| 1987 | Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir | |||||
| 1988 | Hermann Gunnarsson | |||||
| 1989 | Arthúr Björgvin Bollason | Erla Björk Skúladóttir | ||||
| 1990 | Unknown | |||||
| 1991 | Rás 2 | |||||
| 1992 | Árni Snævarr | |||||
| 1993 | No radio broadcast | Jakob Frímann Magnússon | ||||
| 1994 | Rás 2 | Sigríður Arnardóttir | ||||
| 1995 | No radio broadcast | Áslaug Dóra Eyjólfsdóttir | ||||
| 1996 | Rás 2 | Svanhildur Konráðsdóttir | ||||
| 1997 | ||||||
| 1998 | Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson | Did not participate | ||||
| 1999 | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | Áslaug Dóra Eyjólfsdóttir | ||||
| 2000 | No radio broadcast | Ragnheiður Elín Clausen | ||||
| 2001 | Eva María Jónsdóttir | |||||
| 2002 | Rás 2 | Logi Bergmann Eiðsson | Did not participate | |||
| 2003 | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | Eva María Jónsdóttir | ||||
| 2004 | Sjónvarpið (all shows) | Rás 2 (all shows) | Sigrún Ósk Kristjánsdóttir | |||
| 2005 | Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir | |||||
| 2006 | Rás 1 (semi-final) Rás 2 (final) | Sigmar Guðmundsson | ||||
| 2007 | Rás 2 (semi-final) | |||||
| 2008 | Rás 2 (all shows) | Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir | ||||
| 2009 | Þóra Tómasdóttir | |||||
| 2010 | Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir | |||||
| 2011 | RÚV (all shows) | No radio broadcast | Hrafnhildur Halldórsdóttir | Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir | ||
| 2012 | Matthías Matthíasson | |||||
| 2013 | Rás 2 (semi-final, final) | Felix Bergsson | María Sigrún Hilmarsdóttir | |||
| 2014 | Rás 2 (all shows) | Benedikt Valsson | ||||
| 2015 | Sigríður Halldórsdóttir | |||||
| 2016 | Rás 2 (final) | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson | |||
| 2017 | Rás 2 (semi-final, final) | Björgvin Halldórsson | ||||
| 2018 | Edda Sif Pálsdóttir | |||||
| 2019 | RÚV (all shows) RÚV 2 (all shows) ruv.is (all shows) | Unknown | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson (Icelandic) Alex Elliott (English) | Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson | ||
| 2020 | Not announced before contest was cancelled | |||||
| 2021 | RÚV (all shows) RÚV 2 (all shows) ruv.is (all shows) | Rás 2 (semi-final, final) | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson (Icelandic) Alex Elliott (English) | Hannes Óli Ágústsson | ||
| 2022 | RÚV (all shows) RÚV 2 (all shows) | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir | |||
| 2023 | Einar Stefánsson | |||||
| 2024 | Guðrún Dís Emilsdóttir | Friðrik Ómar Hjörleifsson | ||||
| 2025 | Hera Björk | |||||
Other shows
| Show | Channel | Commentator | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Songs of Europe | Sjónvarpið | Björn Baldurson | |
| Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest | Sjónvarpið, Rás 2 | Unknown | |
| Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits | RÚV | ||
| Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light |
Photo gallery
In popular culture
The 2020 Netflix comedy film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, who portray a fictional duo from Iceland competing in Eurovision. Hannes Óli Ágústsson, who plays Olaf Yohansson in the film, reprised his role for the voting segment of the 2021 contest final, in which he presented the points on behalf of the Icelandic jury.
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