Icelandic broadcaster RÚV has announced that Go_A are unable to travel to Iceland and perform at the Söngvakeppnin final. Sweden’s 2021 Eurovision representative Tusse will be performing instead.
Maybe next year
Go_A were announced as the interval act for the final back in February. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the 2021 Ukrainian Eurovision representatives are however sadly unable to make the trip to Iceland. In a statement on the RÚV website, Söngvakeppnin project manager Rúnar Freyr Gíslason says that:
We said goodbye last time with the hope in our hearts that they would be able to visit us next year. We are very grateful to Tusse for responding so quickly and accepting our invitation at such short notice. I know that his mind is also with the people of Ukraine
Rúnar Freyr Gíslason
Tusse, who competed in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden with the song “Voices,” will be performing instead. During the Grand Final, Tusse scored 109 points, including 10 points from the Icelandic public. This point haul saw Tusse and “Voices” finishing 14th overall.
What to expect at the Söngvakeppnin final
The Söngvakeppnin 2022 Grand Final takes place on 12th March. 5 songs will be performing after qualifying from the first and second semi-finals. All songs in the semi-finals had to be performed in Icelandic, but the artists are free to choose the language of their song for the final. The winner of Söngvakeppnin 2022 will represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin in May. Iceland has been drawn in the second half of the first semi-final. The songs that qualified for the final of Söngvakeppnin are:
| Semi-final | Artist | Entry | Songwriter(s) | Result |
| 1 | Stefán Óli | Ljósið / All I Know | Andri Þór Jónsson, Birgir Steinn Stefánsson, Stefán Hilmarsson | Qualified |
| 1 | Sigga, Beta and Elín | Með hækkandi sól | Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir | Qualified |
| 1 | Amarosis | Don’t You Know | Már Gunnarsson and Ísold Wilberg. | Selected by RÚV |
| 2 | Reykjavíkurdætur (Daughters of Reykjavík) | Tökum af stað / Turn This Around | Reykjavíkurdætur (Daughters of Reykjavík) | Qualified |
| 2 | Katla | Þaðan af / Then Again | Jóhannes Damian Patreksson, Kristinn Óli S. Haraldsson, Hafsteinn Þráinsson and Snorri Beck | Qualified |
The official Söngvakeppnin 2022 album, including the Icelandic, English and karaoke versions of all songs, are available to stream.
Iceland’s Eurovision Journey
Iceland made its debut on the Eurovision stage in 1986, finishing 16th with the song “Gleðibankinn” (Bank of fun) by ICY. In its 33 appearances, Iceland has finished in the top ten an impressive seven times. Iceland’s best result to date is second place, which it has achieved twice. The first time was in 1999, when Selma Björnsdóttir received 146 points for her performance of “All Out of Luck.” The second time was in 2009, with Yohanna singing “Is it True” and receiving 218 points. Iceland’s most recent representative at Eurovision was Daði og Gagnamagnið with the song “10 Years,” finishing fourth with 378 points.
Are you looking forward to seeing Tusse perform at Söngvakeppnin? And who would you like to see represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments below or on social media. Don’t forget to follow ‘THAT Eurovision Site’ over at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News Source: RÚV
Photo Source: EBU / Gustav Ike & Streetchic Media
Tim J 
Jazzi Dibben
[…] return to perform as the reigning Söngvakeppnin champions. Sweden’s 2021 Eurovision entry, Tusse, will also perform, following Go_A’s withdrawal due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian […]
[…] Freyr returned to perform as well. Sweden’s 2021 Eurovision entrant Tusse also performed, replacing 2021 Ukrainian representatives Go_A, who unfortunately had to withdraw due to the ongoing […]