Photo: RÚV

Iceland begins its search for a Eurovision 2023 act on Saturday. Semi-final 1 of Söngvakeppnin 2023 sees five acts battle it out for a qualification spot to the grand final.

Ahead of the semi-final, we want to hear from you. Which acts do you want to qualify?

You can review the competing songs below. Then head down to vote in our poll.

Söngvakeppnin 2023 semi-final 1 competing songs

In the semi-finals, all acts must sing the Icelandic version of their song. Therefore, we’ve included these for you to review below.

Benedikt – “Þora” (Brave Face)

BRAGI – “Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér ” (Sometimes the World’s Against You)

Celebs – “Dómsdagsdans” (Doomsday Dancing)

Diljá – “Lifandi inni í mér” (Power)

MÓA – “Glötuð ást” (Lose this dream)

Poll: Who should qualify from semi-final 1 of Iceland’s Söngvakeppnin 2023?

You can vote for as many songs as you wish. However, you’ll only be able to vote once, so make sure to choose wisely before submitting your votes.

Show details

Semi-final 1 kicks off at 19:45 GMT (20:45 CET). It will be hosted by Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson, Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir and Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson.

Two acts will qualify to the grand final. Exactly who that is will be entirely down to the public. Following both semi-finals, a jury may then choose a wildcard act to become the fifth finalist.

Who did you vote for? Do you think the winner of Söngvakeppnin 2023 will come from this semi-final? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

29 Comments
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Ria van de Velde
Ria van de Velde
1 year ago

I like all the songs but Moa and Benedikt are my favorites from this semi.

Liam
Liam
1 year ago

Has to be Celebs for me

Ploppy
Ploppy
1 year ago

If she can pull it off, Dilja could have the best vocal at Eurovision if she wins. (Even better than Alika in my opinion). It’s a better song too.

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago

Celebs.

Sol Stevia
Sol Stevia
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonas

Period.

Doggy Bark
Doggy Bark
1 year ago

Benedikt Cumberbatch 😀 Joking. Moa is the best in this semi. And they really didn’t need to have 2 semis

Benito Camelo
Benito Camelo
1 year ago

Celebs, they really stand out and their song is enjoyable

jack
jack
1 year ago

dilja for me, i don’t really like celebs too much but i think they will make the final

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  jack

Celebs’ song sounds like old school Eurovision kitsch.

Þórir
Þórir
1 year ago

Celebs and Diljá to go through with Bragi as a possible wildcard contender depending on his live vocals (he impressed on Swedish idol so I have high hopes)

Móa is incredible singer but this song just isn’t a winner, and Benedikt needs way more time to develop as an artist, Þora feels really cheap and tacky.

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Þórir

You summed up my predictions.

Zanoni
Zanoni
1 year ago

Celebs and Dilja.

Sol Stevia
Sol Stevia
1 year ago

I love the Celebs! Might be my favorite ESC song this season thus far. I have a tiny glimmer of hope that Iceland will pick them!

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  Sol Stevia

#Taste

Vivian
Vivian
1 year ago

It’s definitely Celebs for me. It’s the only song in Söngvakeppnin this year that I can see doing particularly well

Sol Stevia
Sol Stevia
1 year ago
Reply to  Vivian

Could not agree more.

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Vivian

It’s the only song that’s really memorable for me for Iceland. The rest just pass me by.

Sol Stevia
Sol Stevia
1 year ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

Agreed.

EuroSerg
EuroSerg
1 year ago
Reply to  Vivian

One of the worst songs imo

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  Vivian

Iceland need to send something which will stand out. I liked the trend of them doing that, so I was SHOCKED when Systur won amongst two out there entries, particularly ‘Turn this Around’ last year! I was even more suprised that it qualified to the final! They didn’t do too well! I like the idea of such a tiny country with a tiny popular sending something with some PUNCH! Go back to the previous years with Daddi Freyr and Hatari!

Ritoli
Ritoli
1 year ago

BRAGI for sure! I love his voice and the song.

Paul
Paul
1 year ago

I might be alone with this opinion, but this is the weaker semi final. Here, just Celebs are kind of nice. The other one has Silja Rós, which is my absolute favourite, and Langi Seli, which is something different for Eurovision.

Polegend Godnova
1 year ago

moa (my favorite) and celebs (objectively iceland’s best shot)

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

Doomsdaydancing is the only song the stands out from the ENTIRE selection!

zheng
zheng
1 year ago

Dilja or Celebs for the win whole Songvakeppnin

ESCCarleigh
ESCCarleigh
1 year ago

For me it’s BRAGI and Diljá.

Teddi
Teddi
1 year ago

On side note – did anyone notice that Croatia drastically climbed up to 15th place on betting odds? For reference it was sitting at 29th place just 3 days ago… so that’s up 14 places and it seems their odds are only falling..

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Teddi

Controversy gets people talking.

Kosey
Kosey
1 year ago

Moa and Benedikt are my favorites from this semi. I love the melancholy in Moa’s entry and the optimism in Benedict’s entry. They both capture relatable emotions really well.