Iceland has been represented at the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

37 times since its debut in , missing only two contests since then, in and , when prevented from competing due to finishing outside qualification places the preceding years. The country's best result is second place, which it achieved with "

All Out of Luck The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 at the International Convention Center (Jerusalem), International Convention Centre in Jerusalem, Israel. Organised by the European Broadc ...

" by Selma in and " Is It True?" by Yohanna in . The Icelandic participating broadcaster in the contest is Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), which select its entrant with the national competition Söngvakeppnin. Iceland has achieved a total of seven top ten placements, with the others being "" by

Stjórnin Stjórnin is an Icelandic music duo composed of singers (born 11 July 1959) and Sigríður Beinteinsdóttir (born 24 July 1962). Together, they represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 held in Zagreb. Their entry, " Eitt lag enn" ...

finishing fourth (), "" by Heart 2 Heart seventh (), " Open Your Heart" by

Birgitta Birgitta is the Swedish and Icelandic form of the Irish Gaelic female name ''Brighid''. Brighid or Brigid was the name of an ancient Celtic goddess, and its English form is Bridget (given name), Bridget. Birgitta and its alternate forms Birgit (dis ...

eighth (), "" by Hatari tenth (), and "

10 Years 10 Years or Ten Years may refer to: *Decade, a period of ten years Film *10 Years (2011 film), ''10 Years'' (2011 film), a film starring Channing Tatum *Ten Years (2015 film), ''Ten Years'' (2015 film), a Hong Kong film Music *10 Years (band), a ...

" by Daði og Gagnamagnið fourth (). 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 The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; , UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are member states of the Council of Europe, members of the ...

(EBU), thus eligible to participate in the

. It has participated in the contest representing Iceland since its in 1986, 20 years after RÚV was founded. Iceland's best placing at the contest is second place, which it has achieved twice: in with the song "

" performed by Selma, beaten by 's " Take Me to Your Heaven" by

Charlotte Nilsson Anna Jenny Charlotte Perrelli (; ; born 7 October 1974), known until 2003 by her maiden name, is a Swedish singer and television host. Under her maiden name, she won the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Conte ...

, and in with " Is It True?" performed by Yohanna, beaten by 's "

Fairytale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful being ...

" by

Alexander Rybak Alexander Igorevich Rybak (; born 13 May 1986) or Alyaksandr Iharavich Rybak () is a Belarusian-born Norwegian musician and actor. Based in Oslo, Norway, Rybak extensively worked on television programs and on tours in Europe, particularly in S ...

. In contrast Iceland's worst result in a final is last place, which has been achieved twice to date: in , when "

Það sem enginn sér Iceland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1989 with the song "", written by Valgeir Guðjónsson, and performed by Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson. The Icelandic participating broadcaster, (RÚV), selected its entry through . Before E ...

" by Daníel Ágúst received no points, and in , when "

Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

" by

Two Tricky Iceland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with the song "Angel", written by Einar Bárðarson and Magnús Þór Sigmundsson, and performed by the duo Two Tricky. The Icelandic participating broadcaster, (RÚV), selected its e ...

received three points. With the introduction of semi-finals in , Iceland automatically qualified for the final that year due to

's eighth place the previous year. In , 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 and before failing to qualify for the final from to . In , 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 , Iceland's joint-second best result to date, and a 23rd-place finish for Systur in . Further non-qualifications came in and . Despite these mixed fortunes, Iceland is the second most successful country never to have won the contest (behind only ). Sigríður Beinteinsdóttir has participated five times (as a member of a group in

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

and

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, as a solo artist in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, and as a background vocalist in

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

and

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

Hera Björk Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir (; born 29 March 1972) is an Icelandic singer. She is known for Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Je ne sais quoi (song), Je ne sai ...

has also participated five times (as a backing vocalist in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

and

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

, and as a solo artist in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

and

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

). Stefán Hilmarsson has participated twice (as a member of a group in

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

and in a duo with Eyfi in

), as have

Selma Björnsdóttir Selma Björnsdóttir (born 13 June 1974), also known as Selma or Selma Björns, is an Icelandic actress and singer born in Reykjavík. She is well-known internationally for representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest, Iceland in the ...

(

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

and

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

Eiríkur Hauksson Eiríkur Hauksson (born 4 July 1959) is an Icelandic heavy metal vocalist. He represented Iceland at Eurovision in 1986 and in 2007. Career Eiríkur's career as a vocalist began in earnest when the song "Sekur" he wrote and performed with the ...

(as a member of a group in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

and as a solo artist in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

; Eiríkur has additionally participated for Norway in

as a member of Just 4 Fun).

Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson or Jónsi (born 1 June 1977) is an Icelandic singer and a former member of the band ''Í svörtum fötum'' ("In black clothing"). He represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 and finished 19th. Jónsi ...

entered as a solo artist in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

before participating in a duo with

Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir (; born 11 November 1986), known outside Iceland simply as Greta Salóme, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, and violinist in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. She represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contes ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

; Greta Salóme later entered as a solo artist in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Participation overview

Related involvement

Conductors

Heads of delegation

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.

Other shows

Photo gallery

File:ESC 2007 Iceland - Eirikur Hauksson - Valentine Lost.jpg,

in Helsinki () File:Iceland, Eurobandið, semi-final of Eurovision 2008.jpg, Euroband in Belgrade () File:Yohanna1.jpg, Yohanna in Moscow () File:Hera Björk 01.JPG,

in Oslo () File:The Icelandic contenders.jpg,

Greta Salóme Greta may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Greta'' (2018 film), a thriller film directed by Neil Jordan * ''Greta'' (2020 film), a documentary film about activist Greta Thunberg Music * Greta (band), hard rock band * Greta (song), ...

and

Jónsi Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson (; born 23 April 1975) is an Icelandic musician; he is the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his falsetto or count ...

in Baku () File:ESC2013 - Iceland 04 (crop).jpg, Eythor Ingi in Malmö () File:ESC2014 - Iceland 11 (crop).jpg,

Pollapönk Pollapönk are an Icelandic punk-inflected children's music band which represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with their song "No Prejudice". History Pollapönk was founded in 2006 by singer Heiðar Örn ...

in Copenhagen () File:20150516 ESC 2015 Maria Olafs 8302.jpg, María Ólafs in Vienna () File:ESC2016 - Iceland 04.jpg,

in Stockholm () File:ESC2017 - Iceland 01.jpg, Svala in Kyiv () File:Ari Ólafsson 2018.jpg, Ari Ólafsson in Lisbon () File:Iceland-Hatari-ESC2019-002.jpg, Hatari in Tel Aviv () File:Eurovision 2022 - Semi-final 1 - Iceland - Systur.jpg, Systur in Turin () File:Eurovision 2023 - Jury Semi-final 2 - Iceland - Diljá (03).jpg, Diljá in Liverpool () File:Hera Björk Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Malmö Final dress rehearsal 05.jpg, Hera Björk in Malmö () File:Vaeb, Eurovision 2025 1st semi final live show 20.jpg,

Væb Væb (stylised in all caps; , 'vibe') is an Icelandic electronic music duo consisting of brothers Hálfdán Helgi Matthíasson (born 4 June 2003) and Matthías Davíð Matthíasson (born 7 December 2004). The duo represented Iceland in the Euro ...

in Basel ()

In popular culture

The 2020

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

comedy film '' Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'' stars

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...

and

Rachel McAdams Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from York University in 2001 with a BFA in theatre, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film '' Perfect Pie'' (2002), ...

, 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 final, in which he presented the points on behalf of the Icelandic jury.

Notes

References

{{Authority control Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest