Three weeks of Söngvakeppnin have passed and Iceland has selected their representative for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest! Greta Salóme will make a return to the competition with her entry Hear them calling, having previously competed at the 2012 contest.
This evening, a total of 6 finalists competed in the grand final of Söngvakeppnin 2016 in a bid to represent Iceland at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. Although a total of 7 acts were originally going to participate in the final of the event following an internal wildcard selection, RÚV later decided not to introduce the wildcard to the final.
Tonight’s final included performance from 2 former Eurovision winners; Sandra Kim (Belgium 1986) and Loreen (Sweden 2012) along with Iceland’s previous representative in Vienna, María Ólafs.
The 2016 Icelandic representative was selected in 2 rounds; round 1 of the Söngvakeppnin final saw the 6 finalists perform their entry for a second time, this time singing their entries in the language the artist planned on performing in at the Eurovision Song Contest. The top 2 entries, decided via a 50/50 combined public and jury vote, then moved forward to round 2, the super-final.
With Alda Dís Arnardóttir and Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir qualifying to the super-final of the selection, the super-finalists performed their entries to the public for a final time where it was then 100% down to the public televote to decide which act should compete at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm this coming May.
Receiving the highest amount of votes at the super-final, the Icelandic public selected Greta to represent the nation at the upcoming contest with her entry, Hear them calling.
What do you think of Iceland’s 2016 entry? How will Greta fare against last year’s Icelandic representative, María Ólafs?
