Another confirmation, another set of dates for a Eurovision 2023 national selection.
Earlier this week Iceland‘s broadcaster RÚV confirmed its participation in the next edition of Eurovision and released details about its selection process. Once again it will utilise Söngvakeppnin — its annual song festival that welcomes artists and composers, whether they’re consecrated stars or young up-and-comers.
The two semifinals of Söngvakeppnin 2023 will be held on February 18 and 25 and the grand final on March 4. As in recent years, ten songs will compete to represent Iceland in Eurovision 2023, with five in each semi-final. Two songs will qualify from each semi to compete in the final. The executive committee reserves the right to send one more song to the final, on top of the existing four qualifiers. In this case, there will be five songs in the final.
All are welcome to submit songs. Submissions will be analysed by a special selection committee, made up of representatives of FTT (the Icelandic Society of Authors & Composers), FÍH (the Icelandic Musicians Union) and RÚV. This will result in the selection of 10 semi-finalists.
RÚV encourages the composer and the artists to submit songs across a variety of genres and style. That fits with Iceland’s rich history of sending everything from folk songs to soaring ballads to euro-dance. Submissions can be made at songvakeppnin.is. The deadline is Tuesday, October 4, at midnight.
As ever, you can expect beloved Eurovision artists to be invited to perform as guests. In recent years Iceland has welcomed stars like Eleni Foureira, Tusse, Loreen and Måns Zelmerlöw.
Last year’s winners of Söngvakeppnin 2022, the lovely trio Systur, proudly carried the Icelandic flag in Turin, Italy. They placed 23rd in the final with their breezy, folk-leaning song about the sunrise.
Producers will reveal the artists and songs in January
Without question Yohanna. She is incredibly talented and can sing live without any issues. I’m really surprised that she didn’t follow her 2009 success with international recognition. She’s concentrated on local events and raising a family. Fair play to her for putting her family first. Now is the right time to go again.
I’m still hoping for Hera Björk to return to ESC someday
Still hoping for a Friðrik Dór return hahaha
I’d like John Grant. He was already on lyrics for their 2014 song, so maybe he’ll come back one day. His song “GMF” could have won the whole thing.
I’d be down for this, he can sing very well in Icelandic too so it would be possible
I want to see three names competing in Songvakeppnin 2023:
Daði would be fun to see again maybe in 4 or 5 years but without Gagnamagnið, in some new style
Sigur Rós are too famous and too experimental for Eurovision really
Glowie could but shes already got herself a nice music career in London so i doubt Eurovisions on her list
can’t wait to hear the songs. we tend to forget they’re a country of 360k and that the team behind their entries is almost always fully icelandic (also due to the fact that the songs have to be presented in icelandic as well), the amount of musical talent coming out of it is remarkable.
They should change Söngvakeppnin’s format IMO.
I find the semi format a bit tedious and the wildcard role is pretty pointless. Also the voting in the final isn’t ideal since many vote for the song they dislike less rather than like more.
Systur won this year due to fans from the other tunes switching to them after the first voting. If it was done with one vote, the Daughters would’ve won.