Iceland is on the verge of unveiling its representative for Eurovision 2024, as its renowned Söngvakeppnin approaches its climax. The pre-selection, which has returned to the grand stage of Laugardalshöll after two years in a small studio, received 118 songs to participate in this edition, as announced by the Icelandic television RÚV last October.
Out of these, only 10 have managed to advance in the competition and were vying to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden, following Loreen’s triumph in Liverpool last May and coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of ABBA’s victory.
Last week, the first semifinal was held, where Væb and Anita secured spots for the final, and the second semifinal took place this Saturday, February 24, at 20:40 CET on RÚV 1 and was hosted by Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir, Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson, and Unssteinn Manuel Stefánsson.
In it, the remaining 5 artists participated, with the night culminating in the victory of Hera Björk and Bashar Murad, who have secured spots for the grand final on Saturday, March 2. Additionally, the competition organizers have selected Sigga Ózk as the 5th finalist among the non-selected.
Check out the ranking of this second round of performances below:
| Artist | Song |
|---|---|
| Hera Björk | “Við Förum Hærra” |
| Bashar Murad | “Vestrið Villt” |
| Sigga Ózk | “Um Allan Alheiminn” |
| Maiaa | “Fljúga Burt” |
| Heiðrún Anna | “Þjakaður Af Ást” |
*Qualifiers from SF2 in Bold
Four New Artistic Directors
The Icelandic public broadcasting entity RÚV has already begun shaping what it calls the “great celebration” of Icelandic music. The traditional Söngvakeppnin will return to the screens of the island with four artistic directors: Högni Egilsson, Samúel Bjarki Pétursson, Gunnar Páll Ólafsson, and the two-time Eurovision contestant Selma Björnsdóttir, who finished second in Jerusalem 1999 with “All Out Of Luck” and missed the final in Kiev 2005 with “If I Had Your Love”.
The director of the upcoming edition of the format highlighted with this announcement the broadcaster’s commitment to the creative aspect of the competition. Högni Egilsson is a renowned composer who has worked in films and television, as well as with the band GusGus. Finally, the duo of Samúel Bjarki Pétursson and Gunnar Páll Ólafsson also have over 20 years of experience in directing commercials and television programs.
Söngvakeppnin 2024: Dates and Mechanics
Furthermore, RÚV has officially announced the receipt of 118 songs to compete for waving the Icelandic flag in May in Malmö. Out of them, only 10 will advance to the competition, where they will be divided into two semifinals of 5 songs each. As tradition dictates, the audience will choose their two favorite options from each to qualify for the final, in which, if the jury deems it appropriate, a fifth proposal will be included as a wildcard.
The official dates for Söngvakeppnin 2024 are as follows:
- First semifinal – February 17
- Second semifinal – February 24
- Final – March 4