Yesterday, Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV released the 10 songs that will take part in its national selection for Eurovision 2025, Söngvakeppnin.
Ten acts for two semi-finals
Despite some format changes, the selection will still use two semi-finals, in which songs will be sung in Icelandic. Three songs will qualify from each show, with the final showcasing six entries competing for the right to represent Iceland at Eurovision. In the final, artists will have the opportunity to sing in English instead of Icelandic if they wish to.
The ten acts are the following (with their additional English title when provided) :
Semi-final 1
- Birgo – “Ég flýg í storminn” / Stormchaser
- Ágúst – “Eins og þú” / Like You
- Stebbi JAK – “Frelsið Mitt” / Set Me Free
- BIA – “Norðurljós” / Northern Lights
- VÆB – “RÓÁ”
Semi-final 2
- Bjarni Arason – “Aðeins lengur”
- Dagur Sig – “Flugdrekar” / Carousel
- Tinna – “Þrá” / Words
- Bára Katrín – “Rísum upp” / Rise Above
- Júlí og Dísa – “Eldur” / Fire
You can listen to them on this official Youtube playlist:
The semi-finals will take place on February 8 and 15, with the final on the following week, on February 22.
Changes to Voting
A significant change in the competition is the removal of the duel format in the final. Previously, the top two songs would compete in a second voting round. In 2025, the winner will be decided through a single public vote combined with input from an international jury.
The jury, consisting of seven members, will provide half of the final score, while the public vote will account for the other half. Söngvakeppnin’s executive director, Rúnar Freyr Gíslason, highlighted the similarity of this approach to Sweden’s Melodifestivalen and Eurovision itself.
Do you have any favourite so far? Can Iceland get back into the Eurovision Grand Final? Tell us more in the comments below or on social media!