After the original deadline for Söngvakeppnin 2026 had been extended from the initial date in September, Iceland’s RÚV have revealed that the new deadline for submissions will now be on the 20th of November.
An increase in submissions
The hunt to find Væb’s successors is on as RÚV have announced the new deadline those wishing to participate at next year’s edition of the contest. Further elaborating that they’ve received more submissions for the potential upcoming contest that in the previous year.
It is important to note that while the preparations for the national final are ongoing, Iceland have yet to fully confirm participation at Eurovision 2026. Their hesitancy centres around the ongoing discussion over the potential expulsion of Israel from the contest; of which Iceland has been one of the most vocal proponents. This comes as a large majority of the country have been polled in supports of the Israeli exclusion.
What is Söngvakeppnin?
Usually one of the later national finals in the calendar, Iceland’s selection Söngvakeppnin has taken place since 1981, and since 2006 has been in a format of semi finals leading towards a final. Under current competition rules, all semi-final songs must be in Icelandic, with the option there to translate the song to English should they reach the final, since the current rules were adopted in 2015, all but two winners of the selection chose to do this.
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.
Who would you like to see represent Iceland next year? 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!
Source: RÚV
Photo credit: RÚV
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