RÚV – the national broadcaster of Iceland – has confirmed it will be taking part at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. It comes as the submissions window its national final, Söngvakeppnin, has opened.
Iceland broadcasting Eurovision and elections
RÚV silently confirmed that Iceland would be returning to Eurovision 2026 after it finished in 25th place in Basel. The broadcaster confirmed it would be holding Söngvakeppnin next year and was now looking for submissions. On a banner on their Eurovision-related website, RÚV asked:
We are accepting entries for Söngvakeppnin 2026. Are you excited about Iceland’s entry for Eurovision?
The move also came following news from RÚV that the Eurovision final would be on the same day as national elections in the country. The broadcaster confirmed that both events would be shown on television, confirming the Contest would be broadcast – had Iceland not participated.
RÚV’s participation uncertainty
RÚV was one of several broadcasters to speak up regarding the televote result in Basel. The broadcaster announced it had asked for a clear breakdown of televote numbers to look into how Israel’s televote was so high. The chairman of the broadcaster also called for Israel to be expelled from the competition. A vote on Israel’s participation will take place by the end of the year.
No specific information regarding Iceland’s televote has been made publicly available. Before this confirmation, it had been confirmed that RÚV would make a decision on participation in autumn. While Söngvakeppnin remains in place, this does not automatically mean the winner will represent Iceland, as the competition was temporarily split from Eurovision following the beginning of the war in Gaza.
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 their 35 appearances, Iceland has finished in top 10 an impressive 7 times. Their best result to date is second place, which they have achieved twice. The first time was in 1999, where 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.
VÆB represented Iceland in Basel in 2025 with their song “RÓA”. The duo qualified for the final, bringing Iceland back into the final for the first time since 2022. In the final, they would eventually finish in 25th place with 33 points; all of these were awarded by the televote.
Are you happy to see Iceland start its selection process for Eurovision 2026? Who would you like to see represent the nation? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: RÚV / ESC Discord
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
Euan T